21st Century Schizoid Man
by Puratinamu Disuko
Summary: Seeing through the other side; search for power to stay by her side; losing both body and mind; twenty-first century schizoid man. (A rewrite of Normal.)
1. Arc 1: Chapter 1

21st Century Schizoid Man

Written By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction. I do not own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. To those that have read Normal, this is a rewrite under a different title with the same story structure but different character takes, scenes, and general plot. Also, this story will be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Chapter 1: Zenkichi Normal

It was a conglomeration of chaos and order as students lined up according to their assigned classes and year level, the noise deafening, echoing and reverberating all over the modern closed space that is Hakoniwa Academy's Assembly Hall. He could see mouths open and close, some students talking with their peers while others settled with silence.

Then silence enveloped the present student body as though some magical wind came and took their voices. Almost nothing could be heard, no noise being produced, nothing, except for the sound of steps, whose rhythm of hypnotic repetition might be at fault. It was from a girl, a woman, whose body and beauty could compete with the goddess Aphrodite, she came out from one side of the podium wearing a very provocative version of the academy's female uniform, mesmerizing the crowd and cementing the silence – the sheep now ready to hear their messiah's gospel.

Zenkichi gave his all not to shake his head in resignation at such show of overwhelming charisma from the beauty and its effect on the schools populace. Still, this didn't stop him from admiring the vision parading on the podium.

The girl wore a stern face, giving her a sophisticated image regardless of her current attire, her very long purple hair swaying with her movements — placing both of her hands on the large and tastefully ornate wooden table. Two statues of some unknown type of creature were on each end of the table, with her name and position legibly printed on a white horizontal nameplate in the middle, the crimson flags of the academy as backdrop, adding to her air of authority. A pair of ruby-red orbs then moved left and right behind her bangs — surveying her audience — making some of the students stiffen ramrod in their places.

Alas she grinned, her full and obviously soft lips opening as she began her introductory speech; "Do you find the world merely average?" her voice loud and clear as each member of the student body listened in rapt attention.

She was Medaka Kurokami, his childhood friend, fellow first year high-school student, and Hakoniwa's 98th Student Council President. He still couldn't help but be a little bit astounded at how such a development came to be.

"Does the future bore you? Are you just getting by?"

He could still remember how Medaka tackled him at his very first step inside the Academy, when he came to take care of some minor things about his enrollment, asking him a series of questions about his 'Journey of Self discovery and Enlightenment' — an excuse that he gave to his mother, which was really not that far from the truth. He gave her a rehearsed answer — he still felt guilty about lying to his childhood-friend — earning him a smile blindingly bright, her eyes watering in obvious sign of relief.

"Relax! Even then… life is a drama!"

She then threw a curve ball of changing topics by ordering him to help her in her campaign for the Student Council President position, making him sigh in relief. She was the same Medaka that he remembered. It was as though he never left — her attempting to do something ridiculous, strong-arming him to join her, while he tried his best to stop her before she could even begin. Like always, she would always win the argument while he continued with his halfhearted protests.

And just like always, she won.

He clicked his tongue as he shifted his body, leaning more to his left foot to shake the minor cramping of his right leg. He then twisted his neck left and right, earning him two snaps that he could only hear, noticing a diminutive girl waving cutely to gain his attention at the corner of his eyes. She was hidden by few of his future female classmates on a line beside him. He nodded, making the blue-haired girl smile.

"And to that end — as of today I am your School President. School, work, love life, family situation, and even personal issues, you should submit your woes to the suggestion box without hesitation! Twenty four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year, I will take on any issues from anyone!"

Zenkichi Hitoyoshi could not help but wonder what would happen next.

-000-

"Wow, the new Student Council President sure is something huh?"

"Did you hear the rumors about the new president?"

"I can't believe she's a first year like us."

"Damn she's hot."

"Hmph! She's so up herself, it's ridiculous!"

"But she sure is unconventional, unlike others. I heard even the faculty are afraid to take action against her."

Even Hansode couldn't help but be impressed at the effect of the beast woman's speech, tilting her head as she twirled near the hunching back of a strawberry-blonde student, glancing appreciatively from time to time at his wide shoulders. Like the pathetic sheep that they are, her classmates began their rumor mongering, wasting their lives on such useless prattle. As if such comments could affect the little princess and her hold on the superficial throne.

Then again, time was something she had in spades. So she smiled as she began her own useless prattle with Zenkichi, who was obviously faking sleep. "Wow, impressive huh…. Pulling a bluff like that in front of the whole school. She sure is used to standing up in front of other people."

Her smile widened as his body rose from the table, sure sign that she earned his attention. His chair squeaked a bit as he turned to face her with a bizarre combination of irritation and annoyance, his expression giving her a sense of sadistic delight regardless if such mood from her companion was because of her or the background characters around them.

Was it due to an infraction to his abnormal sense of normality? Then again, everything is normal to him — he would always say.

He leaned with his left forearm on the table, while he raised his right, trying to emphasize his answer. "Shiranui, it's not like she's used to standing up in front of people… it's more like she's standing over other people."

Others who heard his argument would have pegged the president as a dictator, which was not that far from the truth, especially if such statement was from the mouth of her so-called childhood friend.

However, to Hansode, Zenkichi was more like a petulant kid whining about his mother being too strict. She shook her head at such cute but useless show of bravado. Then again….

"Well… you could also say that. If that weren't the case, she wouldn't have won the election. It's a must have trait for a politician, you know? You should take note of it if you want to run for a similar position of authority in the future! Zenkichi for President! Tehe!"

He looked at her like a deer caught in the headlights. "T-that's crazy, Shiranui!"

"Don't worry, don't worry." She gestured for him to calm himself. "Sheesh, you're overreacting."

"Sorry. It's just that when you say things like that… I can't help but be worried."

"Oh?" It was funny… not. "Don't be paranoid, Zenkichi. If I did do something, you wouldn't even know it until it was too late!"

"Yeah…. I know…." He avoided her gaze.

Shiranui inwardly groaned as their conversation spiraled to uncharted waters of their shared past, embracing her own body to compose herself. She then twirled — forcing herself to cheer up — and then hopped to sit on his table, posing like a pin-up model. "Returning to our topic, to get 98% of the votes, even this Shiranui is astounded! She's definitely number one! Impressed enough, that I, Hansode Shiranui, voted in her favor!"

Thankfully, Zenkichi was back to his normal, annoyed self. "I already k—"

"Don't interrupt me!"

"Huh?"

Sometimes, to Hansode's irritation, he could be as dense as a black hole. "I'm explaining to our dear readers, Zenkichi."

"Readers?"

She sighed. She narrowed her eyes at him and within few moments, his twin blue orbs widened in realization.

"Oh…. Oh! Right! Readers! Don't let me interrupt you."

"Why, thank you!" Shiranui gave the strawberry-blonde teenager a bow. She then raised her hands as if she was in an oratory, her feet swinging. "Anyway, Medaka Kurokami, or the Little Princess as I would like to call her sometimes, she was number one in the country in the national exam, she scored a previously unheard of record deviation of ninety, she got innumerable trophies and awards, even in sports she takes any records she tries for!" She took a breath. "And it's practically a joke how rich her family is as they're said to be singlehandedly holding up the economy of Japan!"

Her mouth tasted like crap with all the shit she said about the little princess, though nothing a liberal use of several gallons of mouth wash and equal amounts of tooth paste and dental floss couldn't get rid of, maybe even add a hundred dozen donuts after.

"Are you finished?"

She wet her lips.

"Why I am, my dear Zenkichi."

"It sounded like you're describing some comic character."

She could feel one eyebrow rising at how idiotic he sounded.

"Right. Sorry."

She sighed, again. Why does she put up with his unhealthy denial to maintain his narrow-minded and megalomaniac sense of normality?

Hansode Shiranui chuckled. She can be stupid sometimes, only sometimes. "Sooo? Wha'cha ganna do, pardner?" She leaped from her perch on his table and twirled, feeling her skirt raising enough to give the readers a _zettai ryouiki_ — _serubisu, serubisu_— gracefully stopping to face Zenkichi. "Her being Student Council President pretty much means you joining her."

"Heh! As If!" He dramatically stood up with all the drama that he could, dramatically slamming his hands to his table, his body oozing dramatically with drama…. Oh Zenkichi, you so silly.… "My body would crumble if she messes with me anymore! Though… it's true that she keeps bugging me to join her…."

Well, so much for drama if he grumbles at the end of his tirade.

Then her good nature went down the drain, replacing it with thickly veiled loathing for the woman silently entering her and Zenkichi's sanctuary, approaching him from behind his field of vision. Though like always, Zenkichi continued with his monologue, acting as if he never noticed the beast woman. Humoring her friend, she continued to smile as she listened to him in rapt attention. He pointed at her, which was mimicked by the little princess. She barely stopped one of her eyebrows from twitching — did their mothers never taught them it was rude to point at others?

"I'm resolute! I'll definitely not join the Student Council!"

Just like always, the Kurokami spawn manhandled Zenkichi; grasping his head by his scalp with her right claw, the idiot sweating bullets. "Oh my, Zenkichi, you shouldn't shout inside a classroom."

The woman with useless meat nodded at her direction, acknowledging her presence, as she dragged Zenkichi to her lair.

"Ahhhhh! Please stop, Medaka-chan! Shiranui! Save me!"

Hansode sighed wistfully. There goes the pleasant start of her day.

With nothing better to do with the day's classes already over — not that she's learning anything from them — she placed her hands to his table, caressing the wooden furniture, as she lifted herself up to return to her earlier perch. She then lied on her back and closed her eyes, making herself comfortable as she tried to smother herself with the remaining heat that he left.

"Eh? Where did that Hitoyoshi guy go?"

_Who dares disturb my slumber!?_ she thought, her tongue clicking at the annoyance.

"Oh, Hyuga-kun," she answered without opening her eyes, recognizing his voice. "Zenkichi? He just got dragged out of here by the infamous Student Council President." She turned over, smelling his scent from the furniture. She barely stopped herself from licking the wooden surface, feeling her teeth sharpening and her tongue elongating while her mouth watered. She gulped her own saliva as she felt her undying hunger worsen, her stomach grumbling. She would have to ask Zenkichi for food later.

"Is that so? Anyway, I heard he helped her with her campaign and everything. What exactly is the relationship between Hitoyoshi and the new president?"

She opened one of her eyes, inquisitively looking at the green-haired guy with the glasses holding some notebook. "Ah… Curious aren't we?"

"Huh? Ah, I apologize if I offended you with my question."

"Heeeh…. Do you really want me to answer? My price is high, you know?"

"Huh?"

"Chop off both of your arms, mortal, and give them to me," she said, showing off her shark-like teeth with her grin.

"B-both of my arms? W-what?" He stepped back, his eyes widening.

"That's the price for my answer to your stupid question, worm."

"Uhh…. Aha… Ahahaha…." He laughed, clearly uncomfortable. "Nice joke there, Shiranui-san, even if it was a bit… unconventional."

Hansode shrugged. The guy was lucky. If not for angering Zenkichi, she would probably would have done what she said, especially with her sharpening hunger.

"Yeah, a joke. Anyway, you were asking about Zenkichi and the president?"

He nodded.

"Well, you could say they're something like childhood friends. But if you ask me, their relationship is a tad bit unhealthy."

She could feel her stomach rumbling as she licked her lips. Hyuga was really lucky.

-000-

"Ahh, it hurts," Zenkichi said holding his head, sitting on a very comfortable office chair near a cabinet, a long table at its front, where a cup of hot tea placed by Medaka sits undisturbed, its wispy cloud of evaporation swirling in interesting patterns.

The room was quaint, with several more cabinets and bookcases with trophies and awards of various disciplines, unique contraptions, office supplies, and stacks of papers. He spied a plant he recognized but can't remember the name of beside the door, giving the room something natural to look at while the winds kept blowing fresh air in through the open window, the curtains raised. There was a small and currently unused air-conditioner, just beside a tall bookcase near a poster — an old advertising campaign of the school — of a girl and a boy he didn't know in uniform with smiles on their faces.

"Why can't you ask like a normal person for once, Medaka-chan?" He winced as he tried to twist his sore neck. "Ahhh… I think you broke my neck."

"Oh quit with your bellyaching, Zenkichi. It's your fault for continuing to disobey me," Medaka said, leaning on an ornate table for her use, fanning herself with, well, a fan. He noticed five armbands on her left arm, five different colors for five different positions in the Student Council: the president, the vice-president, the secretary, the treasurer, and the general affairs manager. Her wearing all five of the armbands meant that she was, at that moment, functioning for all of them. It was an inevitable outcome with her achieving 98% of the support of the student body as only a few could keep up with her. If it were another who was in her position, he would have been worried for his or her continued health, though her being the sole member of the Student Council poses a different worry that made him very nervous for his continued survival.

Then again, such a thing was normal.

"Though, I'll give you plus points for calling me by my name! Good for you, Zenkichi!" Medaka continued, sporting a confident smile on her pretty face.

He couldn't help but turn away from her to hide his blush, the sound of his chair's wheels rolling loud enough for the both of them to hear. "H-heh! I understand how it's hard and all but keep me out of it. I want a normal high school life; spending the day with friends talking about the recent popular fad or the latest episode of a TV show, find a nice girlfriend, do stupid things. I want the spring time of my life, damn it! Heck I'll settle for not having a girlfriend if you just get off my case!" He waved his hand widely, fanning his own anger. Just like in the past, he would be dragged in some inane quest, getting hurt and insulted for her sake with nothing to show at the end except for some bruises and a damaged pride. "Please, could you at least think of my sake for once!? I'm only a normal human with simple wants and needs. Think about the position you're putting me in!" He clutched his head with his left hand, his head hurting from his outbursts. "You really don't need me, Medaka-chan. I'm even confident that you could handle the responsibilities of the Student Council by yourself, right?" He turned back to get an answer. "Ri— Heeeey!"

And just as always, she would counter with something so out of this world, he would end up tongue-tied.

She was naked….

Well, almost naked since she was in her lacy baby blue underwear covering the key parts. He could not help but be confused whether to be delighted of such vision or be disappointed that she was not entirely naked.

After some gawking, he realized that Medaka's state of dress was inappropriate. Worried about onlookers, he stood ramrod and ran around the Student Council room, closing the windows, letting the curtains down, and turning on the lights and the air-conditioning.

"Zenkichi, it's a waste of electricity to turn the air-conditioning this time of the year."

He banged his head on the wall, repeatedly. Though she was right, he badly needed the cold to control his own rampaging teenage libido.

"Zenkichi, stop banging your head, you might damage the wall."

"No! You!" He stopped his head-banging to look at her. "Why did you undress behind my back? Heck, why am I even asking this question!? Have some sense of shame for once! I'm a man, you know!?" He pushed himself away from the wall, his blood calming down to manageable levels. "We're not kids anymore!"

"Huh? Did you damage your brain, Zenkichi? Is there even a point with us being embarrassed about anything between the two of us?"

"Ahh…. I'm glad you trust me, Medaka-chan. But still—"

"No, this matter is closed. If I want to be naked in front of you, I'll get naked. What's the point of making my body this perfect if I don't show it?" Medaka sighed as she walked towards him. She then gently touched his forehead, worry clear on her face. "Good, you're not injured." She then tapped his forehead with her fan, making him stumble back. Shaking his head from the slight disorientation, he opened his eyes to see her gently smiling towards him. "You should already know, Zenkichi. No challenge is hard for me. What I want is you; I want you to be by my side."

If it were any other girl, it would have been a confession.

Then again, if it were really a confession, he would have said no.

Still, he couldn't help but blush madly, staring wide-eyed at his childhood friend. He then avoided her gaze, stuttering his answer, "I-it can't be h-helped. I'll j-join you."

Nothing changed, he would agree in the end.

The answer rewarded him a brilliant beam from his childhood friend, launching herself towards him and giving him a tender hug.

He sighed as he felt his face heating up at the same rate as his whole body, her partial nakedness making it worse. But before he could even return the gesture, she let go, returning to her usual confident demeanor.

"Well, that's that. Now for what's really important."

"Urga?" Still bewildered, Zenkichi could only let out unintelligible grunts.

"Why the Suggestion Box of course!"

"A-a s-su-sugestion b-box?" He stuttered, again avoiding her gaze. "Y-you did mention something of that sort."

He almost forgot about that troublesome contraption. He remembered building it from scratch before the election. It was not easy, especially with Medaka harping about designs, efficiency, and its apparent use behind his back.

It was also one of the reasons for her winning the election with a landslide.

The box, in itself, was just a normal suggestion box, nothing new as a campaign material. But with Medaka's profound declaration, it began to morph into something amazing to the Student Body. Entrusting their dreams, concerns, and worries to her — only she could say something like that and mean it. Though….

"Hey, Medaka-chan, don't accept unreasonable requests, alright? An idiot, or worse, a group of idiots might think they could score with you using the request system." He shuddered at some of the requests that he could think of. "Especially with yo—"

"I'm not naïve, Zenkichi. I'll beat them to a pulp before they could even think of doing something like that. I may enjoy showing off my body and I do love humanity, Zenkichi, but not perverted degenerates." There was steel in her words, her eyes narrowing.

"Umm, just reminding you." Well, that was new, and somewhat scary. Maybe something happened to her while he was gone. Still, he decided checking the suggestion box before she could even read the requests should be one of his future duties in the council, just to be safe.

He saw her shake her head at him, her expression turning into a wistful smile. "Anyway, our agenda for today is a request letter." She walked towards the box shaped like a Japanese storage house and picked up a piece of paper beside it.

"Already? That was fast."

"Yup! It's a resounding success! Want me to read it?"

"Shoot." He hoped it wouldn't be too much of a trouble to complete.

""I am currently concerned about a group of troublemaker third years who have taken over the Kendo hall. Could you please find some way of getting rid of them?" so it says."

"Sounds like a hassle."

"Quit complaining, Zenkichi. Oh, and before we go, I'll finish dressing up! Wait for me, okay?"

"So that's why you undressed."

"Huh? Wasn't it obvious?"

"Don't let my presence bother you," he said, his voice dripping in sarcasm.

"Why would it bother me?"

Zenkichi could only groan.

-000-

"A loose gi and short skirt combination… first time seeing something like this."

Even with the distraction — uncanny valley flatteringly shown — in the form of Medaka Kurokami in front of him, he still let out a whistle at how statuesque the Kendo Hall was with the bushes, pottery, and all. It was as if the structure came out of an old samurai flick.

"Impressive, right?"

Though Medaka was still more impressive, not that he would say it to her face to face. Further indulging her narcissism was the least of what she needed….

"Huh?"

"The Kendo Hall."

"Right! The Kendo Hall…"

Medaka narrowed her eyes at him, but let it go as she continued. "No other school in Japan has such a facility for Kendo. And the same can be said for the other disciplines, regardless of popularity and success. It really does give me a sense of pride at being the Student Council President for a school that really cares for its students."

He really doubted that the school was entirely that philanthropic, especially since he knew its connections with the Kurokami Zaibatsu. It seemed Medaka still doesn't know about the other dealings her father's company was involved.

Good.

Then again, it was normal.

He stretched his arms as he stared again at the Kendo Hall seemingly worthy of being a heritage site. "Hmm… It would be a waste if it just ends up a hangout for delinquents."

"Speaking through experience?" She grinned.

"It was a phase! Dammit!" Zenkichi didn't need to be reminded about that one instance of his life. It was middle school, and being in middle school, he was susceptible to delusions of self-grandeur. Why did he think becoming a school banchou was good idea anyway?

"Your hair was really stupid. Oh, and don't curse in front of me, Zenkichi."

Zenkichi clicked his tongue. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"Let me." Medaka climbed the steps leading to the large sliding doors of the hall, Zenkichi closely following behind. Without warning, she slammed it open, the sound almost deafening as the door reverberated.

"Wow…. It's worse than I expected." His eyes wandered around the inside of the Kendo Hall, spotting empty bags of junk food, empty bottles, cigarettes butts and boxes, dirty magazines and manga, some tables with glasses containing alcohol and ashtrays, dirty furniture, and a dilapidated couch, his eyes watering at amount of cigarette smoke in the air. Zenkichi sneezed. "Sheesh, I never really liked cigarettes." He then rubbed his nose with the left sleeve of his uniform.

"Quit being disgusting, Zenkichi."

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Medaka-chan. Force of habit."

Then Medaka did something that broke Zenkichi's mind. She pulled out something between her breasts.

It was a handkerchief.

"Ah…. How?"

"Stop asking questions and take it."

"Ah, alright." Shell-shocked, he absentmindedly took the cloth from her hands and used the warm handkerchief to rub his nose lightly — smelling the scent of soap and other pleasant scents — and returning it after he finished. "Thank you."

"Don't mind it."Medaka said while his eyes followed the cloth made of cotton as she returned it back to its place between her breasts.

"M-medaka-chan, it's dirty," he should have said, but his brain was still rebooting, his eyes staring at her cleavage.

"What?"

He hurriedly raised his eyes to her face.

"N-nothing."

"Good, as I have a request to accomplish."

The group of delinquents only stared, not moving from their respective positions, gawking at Medaka. Zenkichi could definitely understand their reaction.

Medaka stepped forward. "You! You shouldn't make a den out of a school property even if it's neglected!" she said in authority, pointing her fan that came out of nowhere — probably from the same place as the handkerchief, he really didn't get a good look — towards the still gawking delinquents.

Now that he thought about it, how did a sport as popular as kendo lost all its members? Lack of recent membership was impossible as the facilities were the best in the country, which should have attracted new members by the droves. He glanced at the wooden swords lying all over the place, giving him an insight. It would seem that the new members just turned to delinquency due to unknown reasons. Misinformation perhaps? Peer pressure?

Not that he really cared.

Such a thing was normal after all.

"B-boss!" a delinquent said behind someone who looked like the leader — he had a cross-shaped scar while sitting on the couch like some king — nudging him from his stunned state.

"Huh? Ah!" He stood up a little too fast, almost stumbling back. He tried his best to look like he never embarrassed himself, giving Medaka the 'intimidate your opponent until he pissed in his pants' treatment. "Hmm…. Who the hell are you?"

Medaka grinned. "First year thirteenth class Medaka Kurokami, the current president of the Student Council. I'm here on behalf of a request."

"Ah, so you're the chick president, huh." The guy with the scar not unlike a famous samurai from an anime gestured to one of his underlings, who handed him one of the wooden swords that were lying on the floor. "I heard that you'd gone mad with power, but confronting us with only one henchman, it seems like it was true." He then pointed the wooden implement at her while labeling Zenkichi as Medaka's underling….

"I'm not her henchman!" Who was this person to label him as such…?

Then again, he really was her underling, in a sense, so the context was not wrong. Still….

"He's not my henchman; he's a very important friend and a member of my Student Council." Medaka said, her grin gone.

How astonishing…. She was really different…. Maybe Zenkichi could ask Shiranui about what happened to Medaka while he was gone. Then again, maybe not, it might have been something good to make her more connected to other people, unlike her past self, the swelling good feeling he was experiencing not-withstanding. Really, such moment made all those years of being with Medaka worth it.

Zenkichi couldn't help but smile in pride.

"Keh! I don't care about what you call that stupid looking guy."

"Hey!" He could feel his eyes twitch in irritation. Zenkichi might kill the bastard by the end of the day. He was not stupid looking, just normal looking, definitely not the same.

"Hmph! Guys!"

At their leader's behest, the other delinquents stood up, grinning threateningly at them. They were obviously excited for the after-battle fun as their lecherous eyes roaming to Medaka's body could attest. Not that he would let them if worse comes to worst.

"You know? I'm really surprised you brought yourself all the way out here," scar-face continued, "You might have got ninety-eight percent of the votes, but I should tell you that it was I that got the remaining two percent!"

"Hoh… so you're third year Mahibi Moji, huh. I was expecting someone more… I dare say… dignified. Not some leader of delinquents. And kendo, eh?" Medaka stared at the wooden sword pointing at her. "That takes me back. I did try my hand on this discipline a few years back."

'Try' was an understatement; 'mastered' would be the right word to describe her proficiency with the sport. She had skill that could equal some of the samurai lords of the warring states era — even if kendo was a watered down discipline of the sword of the olden days — enough skill that she could disarm Moji of the Cross-shaped Scar without him knowing by only using her hands.

"Hmm… looks like this bokutou has been well maintained. The ebony finish is pretty thorough." She gave the wooden sword appreciative attention while giving the flabbergasted Moji evaluative glances. It seemed Zenkichi's hypothesis of the current state of the Kendo Club was correct.

"Ha!" It seemed the delinquent leader finally woke up from the stupor of him being owned by Medaka. "Guys! Surround her!" The delinquents encircled them, some taking up the wooden sword, others pulling out their switchable knives, while some settled for broken bottles and their own knuckles, some wearing brass knuckles. It seemed Medaka's show of skill backfired.

Worried for his childhood friend, Zenkichi took up a position beside her, raising his arms in a boxer's stance. Medaka only took everything in a stride, still checking out the bokutou.

"Medaka-chan…?"

She never answered his query as she began tallying the delinquents' violations, "Inappropriate dress, dyed hair, and accessories, a veritable parade of rule breakers." She handed him her wooden sword which he worriedly took. "Not that I can really talk."

Zenkichi gave Medaka another once over, shaking his head after. She never really bothered with the rules if it goes against her own dress code.

Then she took a step. Everything then became a blur.

"What the hell!?" Moji the Wandering Delinquent Wood Swordsman said incredulously.

Zenkichi saw her moving so fast that it appeared that there were multiple copies of Medaka. He didn't see her taking each of their weapons. He didn't see her taking out several boxes of cigarettes from their pockets. He didn't see her take out the hidden bottles of liquor. He didn't see her leaping over the delinquents back to his side. Though, he did see her balancing all the weapons and cigarette boxes on her open fan with a taunting grin on her face. Yes, he didn't see her do some of those things within the blink of an eye. He was normal after all.

Then again, what she did was also normal.

"My smokes!"

"Hey, I just bought that!"

The delinquents began to panic as they searched their clothes for their vices, while others stared at their now empty hands.

"A n-ninja technique!" one of the more levelheaded delinquents said. He was wrong.

It was not the famous replication technique, just a normal advance and retreat in kendo so high-leveled that it looked like one. Not that Zenkichi knew enough of kendo to know what Medaka did, he was normal after all.

"However, the liquor, the weapons and the cigarettes are some things that you should change. Underage drinking is against the law and the cigarettes are bad for your health. Why do you even need weapons inside an institution of learning? Just think of this as good for your future selves as I confiscate these deplorable things!" Medaka said as she handed Zenkichi the confiscated items. Since he didn't have Medaka's amazing sense of balance, the items fell all over him. He was normal, after all.

"Medaka-chan!"

"Oops." She gave him a worried glance. "Are you alright Zenkichi?"

"Ah… y-yeah..." He said with a knife near his face and crotch, a broken bottle above his head, a wooden sword on his right and a brass knuckle on his left, while being buried in cigarette boxes and unbroken liquor bottles. Thankfully, he managed to maneuver his body in the last second, avoiding the lethal implements. Medaka held out her hand, which he gratefully took, standing up while being careful to avoid the sharp objects. "Thanks."

Medaka nodded as she turned her attention towards her surroundings and gave out a sigh. "It looks as though you made a fine mess of one of the school's facilities, I'm almost impressed."

At Medaka's admonishment, the delinquents recovered from their panic. "What's with the lecturing!? This has nothing to do with you, president! Don't think so high of yourself!"

Medaka hid the lower part of her pretty face behind a fan, not unlike an alluring geisha. "So pitiful."

The delinquents gulped, shocked at such attack to their manliness. It seemed one of Medaka's infamous [Proof of One's Worth #1: Preaching to the Lesser Mortals] was beginning. So infamous was the preaching that it warranted the obnoxious use of brackets like it was some technique out of some trashy light novel. Zenkichi could not help but turn away from the pitiful teenage hooligans.

"All of you were undoubtedly once passionate, loyal Kendo Club members. I can only presume that there is some great reason, some great tragedy which has led to you staying so far from the path." Medaka spun and bent back gracefully — the pose emphasizing her uncanny valley — like she was in a dance to stare at the delinquents. It was a unique way of looking down on people, somewhat similar to that female pirate in a manga from Jump. "Were you thrown aside by your parents? Did you fail to meet a teacher who could guide you? Were you betrayed by one of your own? Was there some nefarious organization who took one of your own, disappearing out of the blue, and left you without your drive? Worry no more! I will help you be born again! I will make it impossible for you to become distracted by anything other than the way of the sword! I will not see your thoughts lead astray again. I will leave you unable to cry or even laugh!" Her tone then became stern not unlike some military officer training fresh recruits, intimidating the delinquents so that the thought of going against her was now absent from their minds. "We start with basic strokes, one thousand times! Do you guys think you're going to be able to walk home today!?"

Well, it seemed Medaka did not need his presence in the first place. He felt he just wasted time following her. Then again, he was thankful he was relatively unharmed in the end.

"You too, Zenkichi! Give me a thousand strokes!"

"Yes ma'am!"

He silently cursed. It seemed he spoke too soon.

-000-

Like usual, the cafeteria was a warzone with students fighting over the limited food sold. Students, regardless of seniority, not caring of gender roles and courtesy, were violently pushing each other as they shouted their orders to the stern cafeteria lady behind the counter.

One might think the violence towards cafeteria food was excessive and can only exist in fiction. However, Hakoniwa's cafeteria was exceptional with its superb quality of food and extraordinarily small prices.

Hansode Shiranui reveled in such chaos. If she could, she would have cackled in glee.

Still, regardless of how disappointing it would be, she had to get food in-order to quench her eternal hunger. Thus, she made her and Zenkichi's presence known by tapping her left foot twice on the tiled floor. The fighting stopped as the students made a wide berth for her and her companion to pass through unobstructed. It was as though God divided the sea of hungry teenagers, which was not really that far from the grisly truth. Hansode skipped like the little girl she appeared to be towards the matron managing the food, who was getting more nervous as she neared, while Zenkichi nervously walked behind her, giving apologies and bows to the affected student populace. She then stopped, pressing both her hand towards her chest and tilting her head cutely, smiling her sweetest smile towards the cafeteria lady.

"Could you please get me twenty beef bowls, ten plates of yakisoba, and five bowls of ramen? Oh, and my friend here wants one bowl of katsudon and a small bowl of miso."

"Umm… thanks, Shiranui."

She tilted her head towards where Zenkichi was standing behind her. "Anything for you, Zenkichi!"

He nodded as he nervously avoided the accusing eyes of other students.

As she and Zenkichi waited for her order to be delivered, she listened to the students who were murmuring around them.

"Dude, why are we even letting that little shrimp do that anyway?"

"That's Hansode Shiranui, the chairman's granddaughter."

"What? That's nepotism!"

"Well, in a way. But that's not all. The first time she did something like this, she scared the whole cafeteria to the point some were pissing themselves. I was there… I can't really explain it but it was really freaky…."

"Woah there… you're telling me that midget scared you shitless? Wow man, my opinion about you went to the drains."

"Shhh! I'll punch you in the gut later for saying that, but do not call her names! Last time someone did, they ended up dropping out and transferring to another school… overseas!"

"Really!?"

"Really, really."

"Woah, that's double freaky. To think that such a cute little thing is that scary. Then what about the other one?"

"Don't know about him, I only see him with her from time to time… a sidekick maybe?"

"Hmm, he does looks like one."

Different student clicks regurgitated certain variations of that particular conversation, repeating the warnings to the uninitiated while boosting her ego at the same time. Putting a chink towards Zenkichi's obsession in normalcy was a welcome bonus. If he only….

Then again, that would be a disaster of world ending proportions for humankind.

Hansode could not help but snicker at such thought.

"Shiranui, maybe you should try lining up like a normal person next time," Zenkichi said, somehow falling to the peer pressure from the worms.

She sighed as Zenkichi acted stupid again by asking another stupid question. "These students were on a warpath for food, Zenkichi. It would impossible for us to join them and get the necessary food before the end of lunch time without deliberately killing someone." Then a nefarious idea came to her, feeling her smile turn into something vicious, her mouth-watering. "Well…. Unless you want something more… ahh… fresh for lunch."

She noticed the others students shiver from the corner of her eyes. "No!" Zenkichi suddenly shouted in alarm as he widened his eyes while trying to hide her now slobbering state from prying eyes with his body. "Noooo…. Shiranui, let's settle for normal human food for now okay?" He then pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket while whispering to her and used it to wipe the drool dripping from her mouth.

She nodded as she tried to control her own hunger, forcing her earlier thoughts out of her mind. She then tapped his hand to tell him that it was enough. "Ah, I did it again." She gave him a grin. "Really Zenkichi, you should have known better than to goad me."

"It's just that…," he said as the handkerchief vanished from his hands, away from prying eyes.

"Well then, until we find a solution, just put up with me okay?"

"Yeah…." Zenkichi sighed but then suddenly grinned. "How about we call for takeout next time? We'll ask your grandfather for permission."

"Mou…. That's no fun, Zenkichi." No more unleashing authority and fear? Hansode was disappointed.

"Ah, so that's why you never called for takeout before, huh. That's it. We're having takeout next time like normal folks would do."

Zenkichi and his obsession of being normal, it really ruins some of Hansode's fun activities. "Alright Zenkichi, you win."

He patted her head to placate her. She reveled at his touch.

"Ahem! Here's your order, Miss Shiranui."

The cafeteria lady visibly flinched at her venomous glare after Zenkichi removed his hand from her head. It would have been worse if she had dropped the food while doing so.

Still, food was food, so her glare was gone before Zenkichi could even notice it. With a smile now on her face, she gladly took the large tray of her food stacked like a Jenga puzzle, balancing it with no effort from her part whatsoever. Beside her, Zenkichi took his, to her opinion, meager amount of food. The students kept staring at them as they walked towards their table. It was not after they sat on their table that the cafeteria returned to its usual routine.

"By the way, I can't help but notice the bruises and bandages on your face," Hansode said after fifteen beef bowls and six plates of yakisoba.

"Well…," her best friend said after gulping a mouthful of pork and rice.

"Yeah, I know. You were dragged along again like a rag doll by the little princess. Let me guess, you joined the Student Council at her behest. You really are an idiot."

"Ah… Yeah…."

"And now you're going to complain about how the Kurokami heir is always like that since you were kids. About how she doesn't get the fact that she's better than other people at things and that as a result she puts effort into making those around her as good as she is."

"Umm… yeah…. How did you know?"

Hansode could only stare at Zenkichi.

"Ah, of course. Oh, and could you hand me some of your yakisoba?"

After she handed him a plate, she continued, "And now you're having an internal monologue while moving down memory lane about some past example about her. Let me guess again, it's about the national mock exams and how she ended up teaching a class during summer holiday and about ones and sevens, examiner confusion, and filling up multiple choice sheets. And then you complain with your monologue about how she doesn't understand normal people and their woes, about how she can't understand those who try but don't succeed and how depressing it can really be. "

Zenkichi handed her a glass of water.

"Thanks." Hansode drank the whole glass.

"Wow…. You're really amazing, Shiranui."

Hansode slammed her hands on the table in irritation, breaking the glass in the process. "Stop acting like an idiot! It's depressing!" If only he could tone down his obsession, her world would have been perfect. Then again, nothing is perfect, ever.

"Shiranui!" He took out another handkerchief, this time black, using it to gather the broken pieces of glass. "You should be careful!"

Hansode cursed inwardly. "Yeah, I'll be careful." she said as she rolled her eyes. "It's not like I'll get hurt by these measly things." She then threw the pieces that were still in her hand to the pile of broken glass, joining the other broken pieces on the black piece of cloth. Zenkichi then tied it into an improvised sack and covered it with both of his hands.

"Still...," he said as he removed his hands, the small sack now gone. "It's the principle behind… you know…."

"I know, I know. It's just that…." She was grateful for his concern, but she was still irked by his self torment and obvious guilt. She never even blamed him for what happened to her in the first place. It might have been traumatic. It might have been so painful that no word, human or otherwise, could ever describe it. Nevertheless, it was because of those events that she was closer to him than anybody else in the multi-verse was, and more importantly, she was closer to him than the little princess was.

They both share the guilt.

And she was ever thankful for that.

"Yeah, I know." His answer was subdued, somehow answering several of Hansode's unanswered questions.

"Then why?"

He was just silent, avoiding her gaze. She decided to let it go, for now. "You should tell me one of these days. I doubt it's about control."

"Y-yeah…." He turned to stare at his now empty plate, his eyes somehow showing he was contemplating something… inevitable. Seeing that something was occupying his thoughts, she decided to finish the rest of her lunch.

She already finished her seventeenth beef bowl when Zenkichi shook his head and said, "One beef bowl, please."

"Here," she said as she handed him what he asked. She then began her second bowl of ramen.

"Anyway, about yesterday, we were pretty lucky that it worked quite so well. I imagine those guys would never be near the Kendo Hall after what they were put through yesterday," Zenkichi said, back to his usual normal obsessed state.

Well, at least they were back in a jovial mood. "Heeeh…. We'll see about that."

"Hm?"

"You should already know. If she was as simple thinking as that, you wouldn't have to go through things that you do."

"You've got a point."

Suddenly they heard a murmur behind Zenkichi. "This isn't a joke. I'm going to be pissed if they're still there."

Hansode leaned to the right, her fifth bowl of ramen on hand, and saw Hyuga standing up and leaving his food on the table.

Zenkichi then stood up and gestured to his food tray, his beef bowl unfinished. "Shiranui, I'm sorry, but could you take care of these?"

Shiranui nodded and then he left.

"Kill him for me, Zenkichi!"

"Not going to happen, Shiranui!"

As she finished her food, she remembered something that she should have told Zenkichi. "Nah, he already joined the Student Council. I doubt he would care about the recruitment meeting or the remaining positions."

Then again, with what the little princess wanted for the selection of her council's positions, its failure was inevitable. Maybe she could use the opportunity to impose some fear on the assuming worms. Without Zenkichi by her side, she finally cackled in glee, enjoying its satisfying effect on the mortals still having their lunch.

-000-

"Now, where did he go?" Zenkichi mumbled looking over the students hanging out in the hallways. On the other end of the hallway, he saw a familiar green-hair turn to a corner. Walking as fast as he could, he weaved through some of the students that were on his way. As he finally reached the other end, he again saw the green-haired guy turning to another corner. Cursing under his breath, he continued tailing him.

The short pseudo-chase finally ended when he reached the laboratory hallway — the location of some of the indoor clubs. The sound of Zenkichi's footsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway, deeply suspicious of his surroundings. He didn't see the green-haired guy, but Zenkichi was sure he was there, maybe hiding, as it was a dead-end.

"Hey, I don't have bad intentions against you, okay!? I just want to ask some questions!" He received no reply. "Umm… you're Habatake Hyuga right? I know you're the one who sent the request about the Kendo Hall. We're classmates if you remember… so you can trust me…. Just tell me what you really want the Student Council to do to solve this request of yours."

There was no reply. Taking a chance, he tried to open the nearest door to his left. It was locked. Zenkichi scratched his head in irritation. He just remembered that most club rooms were closed during lunch.

"By the way, about what you heard on some things that Shiranui and I said…. They're just crazy talk, you see! We were just playing! You know what chuunibyo is right!? It's something like that. It's embarrassing, really…."

He tried to open another door, but as expected, it was also locked. Looking up, he saw a white plate with "Home Economics Room" printed on it. Zenkichi sighed. Since it was almost time for the afternoon classes, he decided to give up. He already said his piece so it wasn't a total waste of time.

He was about to turn to the corner that he came from when someone came down from above with a wooden sword in hand, a loud dull sound reverberating in the empty hallway.

"What!?"

Zenkichi gave a sigh in relief. It seemed his acting worked. He already knew Hyuga was above him — sticking near the ceiling with a split, his feet on the walls for support near the music room — from when he looked up to read the "Home Economics Room" plate. Just above his head, there was a thin transparent square glass-like object of about the size of a floor tile, shielding him from Hyuga's attack.

As Hyuga lifted his weapon, the glass tile disappeared. He then leaped back, his back touching the wall and his face incredulous. "What heck was that?"

"Do you really think I'll answer that? Heh, you're quite funny." Though, for the sake of introspection, the mirror-like object was a manifestation of [Mirror Mime], a skill that conjures transparent glass tiles powered by belief and, to an extent, will. Yes, Zenkichi was quite embarrassed the he too had such a battle shounen-like skill that could merit the use of brackets. He really felt like a hypocrite for making fun of Medaka's preaching skill the other day. Anyway, it was a skill that followed that concept of miming, the stronger the belief the stronger it was manifested in reality. One might think that such skill was similar to those used by the Lantern Corps in American comics, and to an extent, it was, though not as grand as it had a very debilitating weakness.

"Kih!" His green-haired opponent intensified his glare, hardening his grip of his bokutou in obvious anger. "So you're one of those guys huh?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"No matter!" He leaped again, using the wall to exert more force. "I attack!"

Zenkichi himself was the weakness. To be exact, Zenkichi just didn't have enough belief and will to make the skill a viable barrier for several attacks.

Zenkichi's eyes widened as the attack passed through the glass like butter. Thankfully, he managed to duck at the last second, the wooden sword only taking a few strands of his hair. Zenkichi then back-rolled away, creating a gap from the violent bokutou user. He quickly stood up, avoiding another attack by doing a barrel roll to the right, then kicking his left foot to leap away from Hyuga, whose attack ended up hitting the floor. He was now facing his opponent's hunched back.

Zenkichi felt quite exhausted from all the dodging, so he decided to make banter with the violent glasses guy to gain some breathing air. "Hey! Why didn't you join the Kendo Club if you're this good?"

Hyuga slowly stood up, turning to face Zenkichi menacingly. "And share the club with those weak losers? Those weeds!? Damn idiot! I am a nationally famous kendo practitioner! I'm aiming to be the best in the world! To do that, I need the Kendo Hall, alone! Such perfect facility, only a man of kendo of my caliber should be the one to use it!"

"Woah man, you've got some serious issues."

"Fuck you!" Hyuga attack again, this time he was using both of his hands to swing the wooden sword towards his kidneys. As expected, his bokutou passed through the glass again, so he ended up using an arm to block the attack. He felt a bone in his left arm breaking as his body flew from the attack.

"Gah!" Spittle flew from Zenkichi's mouth as he hit the wall, his left arm hanging uselessly, bent in a very awkward manner. He was in a world of hurt, something he experience many times before. Still, he didn't have time to rest as another attack was falling towards his head. Seeing no other choice, he used another of his given skills, [Lingual Logic], to read the upcoming attack. Knowing the trajectory of the wooden sword from how Hyuga's body moved, he kicked one of the bokutou guy's legs, shifting the attack to the right and missing his head by merely inches. Zenkichi then tripped him, making him fall headfirst to the wall.

Zenkichi hurriedly stood up, backing away from the violent maniac. He then began to ready himself, taking up a stance he learned before high school started, as his opponent began to stand up while shaking his head. Zenkichi twitched in pain as he lifted his injured left arm. Still, since it can finally move, he could tell that it was quickly mending itself, fast enough for his next move.

To the uninitiated, [Lingual Logic] was another of Zenkichi's skills, one that gives him the ability to understand any language that he reads and hears. A game breaker of a skill because with it he could understand the oldest of languages, the most alien, and the most advanced. With it, he could even understand programming languages, numbers, and pictures, anything that can be defined as a language. Yes, he could even understand body language, enough to know how to anticipate and formulate a counter to any single attack before they could even begin.

Zenkichi began a steady breath, in and out, as Hyuga began to ready his own stance, both his arms griping his bokutou tightly.

It was a standoff with Hyuga now wary.

Tension was thick in the air as the sound of students returning to their respective classrooms began to echo towards the empty hallway.

Then the bell rang.

"Haaa!" At the impromptu signal, Hyuga began his attack with a very strong overhead swing. Suddenly, he changed the direction of his attack mid-swing, now becoming a slash from the left towards his head. It was a show of tremendous strength and skill worthy of his earlier boasts. It was an unavoidable attack.

Zenkichi grinned. Too bad for Hyuga, Zenkichi using [Lingual Logic] was his opponent.

At the very last moment, he lifted his right arm and used it to guide the sword down, his palm on one flat side of the wooden sword, while he used his other palm to catch the other flat side. It was a perfect execution of _Shinken Shirahadori_, or _Live Blade Catching_. Zenkichi then jumped and used the momentum produced by the sword to spin several times midair and kicked Hyuga so hard that he produced web cracks when his head hit the concrete wall. Zenkichi then landed, crouching on the floor with his right arm to support himself.

"Woah! Now that was intense!" Zenkichi's grin was ear to ear, almost a Glasgow smile, his eyes somewhat bloodshot. He then frowned then shook his head. "Get a hold of yourself, Zenkichi. Now's not the time…."

After standing up, he walk towards the now unconscious Hyuga, his face still stuck on the wall with some of his blood dripping down. Just to be sure, Zenkichi nudged him by his feet. Seeing no reaction, he lifted his body ad shifted him in a piggyback ride position, intent to carry the green-haired guy to the nurse's clinic. He was glad that classes had already begun as no one will see him carrying his unconscious and bloody classmate… well… except for one, as he spied a purple-eyed girl with a very smug smile. Nodding in gesture towards her, which only widened her smug smile, he continued with his self-appointed task.

As expected, he arrived late for his class. Thus, the current teacher punished him by making him stand outside the room, entirely missing his classes. He would also get a reprimand from his homeroom teacher after the afternoon classes, but the thumbs up and proud smile from Shiranui made it all worth it.

Then again, all that happened was normal.

-000-

The meager light that managed to enter the Kendo hall reflected on the floor, the walls, and even the ceiling, creating a sparkling finish that made Medaka, who was in her housekeeper outfit tailored to her tastes, nod in satisfaction.

Still, she couldn't help but feel a bit of disappointment at how late the others were, especially Zenkichi. Medaka sighed as she hefted the bucket of dirty water and her mop to a corner where the other cleanings supplies she used were temporarily placed.

Now thinking about her strawberry-blonde childhood friend, she wistfully smiled. He finally returned, after a long time. She remembered the times when he wasn't there by her side — they may have grown apart back during middle school, but she knew he was still there, watching her from afar — most of it spent on finding out where he was while she faced the world without the only, before his disappearance, constant in her life. She never really thought that someday he would be gone; taking for granted his presence — never again she would do so.

Of course, at first, she believed Zenkichi's mother about him taking a training trip, even showing some letters detailing his adventure and applauding him for his initiative. There were clues, of course, that something bad happened to him, as the flow of letters suddenly stopped. But she just chalked it up as him being in the mountains and wrestling a bear or something, that is, until classes resumed and he was not present. Again, she reasoned that traveling back was taking time with all the traffic — not everyone can just call a helicopter to taxi them home — her confidence in Zenkichi never wavering. However, the days passed, and then weeks, and then a month, and then she realized that maybe something happened to Zenkichi that he just couldn't handle alone.

Using the utmost of her abilities and resources, she scoured for information, no matter how seemingly insignificant, about her childhood friend's whereabouts, even asking his older brother whom she was uncomfortable dealing with. Nothing, she couldn't find anything. However, she was Medaka Kurokami, and Medaka Kurokami never gives up.

That's when she decided to confront the Hitoyoshi matriarch, Hitomi Hitoyoshi, about Zenkichi's disappearance. But the diminutive woman only shook her head with a smile, telling her to wait and assured her that Zenkichi will definitely come back. It was then that she realized that there was more to his disappearance than she first thought. She later realized Hitomi Hitoyoshi's, and by extension Zenkichi's, connections to her family's company.

Again, she confronted her older brother, furious at him for lying to her. Her brother only sighed and told her it was all confidential business within the zaibatsu, too confidential that even he was excluded from it. That only advice that he could give was to confront their father about it.

Luckily, for her, her father was in the country during that time. But disappointingly, her father never answered her question, uncharacteristically serious for once. He even got angry with her persistence, something he never did before, banning her from searching for him alone. Still, he inquired what Zenkichi really was to her.

She answered.

And her father smiled wickedly.

He then promised her that Zenkichi would come back before the start of her tenure as a first year in Hakoniwa Academy. But even with the assurance that Zenkichi, thankfully in fact, was still alive, the confrontation with her father left her bitter. For the first time in her life, she failed. For the first time, Medaka Kurokami gave up.

She was disappointed with everyone… and she was especially disappointed with herself. For a time, she even almost convinced herself that she was the reason he left, too angry to think clearly. It was only thanks to a toy puzzle, a remnant of her first meeting with Zenkichi, that she remained steadfast with her current outlook in life, to make other people happy.

It was a very humbling experience, and in a way, it made her more connected to humanity and their woes.

It made her human enough, that when Zenkichi did arrive, the feelings the surged inside of her were so overwhelming they almost made her faint. The feelings she feels when she helps other people couldn't even compare.

That's when she doubted her own reasoning for being born.

A loud thump of the sliding door opening interrupted her on her reverie. Medaka shook her head and grinned. For now, she had a request to fulfill. "You're late!"

"Hmph! We've got nowhere else to go, might as well humor some crazy chick president," Moji said.

The former delinquents, lead by Mahibi Moji, entered the hall dressed in an appropriate uwagi and hakama with their wooden swords in hand. Sporting determined faces, they were ready for their club activities for the day.

"Very well, I hope you're ready for today's reform program!"

"Don't take us for cowards! Even if we are beaten to a pulp, we're not just going to roll over and give this place up! I'll tell you now, but you'll never reform us! If you think you can then just try it!" Moji's companions with their grumbles of approval supported his argument.

Medaka's grin widened. Regardless of what happened in the past, challenges still made her blood boil. She grabbed her current dress and took it off, instantly changing into her Student Council uniform. "Fine then, I'll take on your challenge! Form a line!"

Like trained soldiers, the delinquents formed a straight horizontal line in front of her. She nodded in approval. Placing her hands to her back, she walked left and right like a military officer towards his men. "Ok, today we'll start with ten thousand strokes basic practice!"

"What, that's tenfold to what we did yesterday!"

"I don't want to hear any complaints! Just do it!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Thus, the counting of numbers echoed throughout the hall, swinging their wooden swords. From time to time, she helped some of the former delinquents, now Kendo Club members, with their forms, giving advice and stern lectures. It would have been a smooth sailing session if not for a sudden interruption.

Medaka heard the loud thump of the sliding door opening again, halting the swings of her current charges.

"I didn't say stop!"

"But-"

"No buts! Continue your routine or I'll increase it with another thousand!"

"Yes ma'am!" the Kendo Club members shouted in unison as they continued with their practice.

"Don't ignore me!" the interruption shouted.

Medaka stared at the intruder with a raised eyebrow and asked, "And who are you?" He was a student of dark-green messy hair with broken glasses and a face that seemed to have been run over several times. He was holding a bokutou. "You don't look okay. You should deliver yourself to the nurse's office, at once."

"Your sidekick did this to me!" He said as he pointed to his face.

"Sidekick? I don't have a sidekick."

"Hitoyoshi! It was Hitoyoshi, you dumb bitch!"

"I don't think Zenkichi would do something like that to you without reason…. And I find your use of words… deplorable…."

The obviously hysterical student shook his head, his teeth gnashing in frustration. "Do you think I fuckin' care what you think!? All I wanted you dumb cunts from the Student Coun-shit to do was to get of rid of these cretins!" He pointed to the practicing club members, who only ignored him, with his wooden sword. "Instead you freakin' reformed them! I don't need these weeds!"

So he was Habatake Hyuga, she did not recognize him with the bruises on his face and his unkempt state. He was disappointing, to say the least. Then again, this was another challenge, an extension of the request. Medaka crossed her arms under her chest. "I'm sure this bad attitude of yours is just an outlet of your frustrations in the world, or it might have been born from your lack of friends! Be glad! I will f—"

"Medaka-chan, are you there?"

Medaka's eye twitched at the interruption as her childhood friend's head appeared in the open sliding door. But before she could even chastise him, Hyuga suddenly wailed like a lunatic, swinging his bokutou towards the strawberry-blonde's head.

With a burst of speed, Medaka was already beside Zenkichi, catching the wooden sword by one hand and gripping it so hard that it broke into two. "You shouldn't have done that." Before Hyuga could even reply, she grabbed his uniform and threw him to the wooden floor. She stepped on his chest, pressing it until she could hear him groan in pain. "You really shouldn't have done that."

"Medaka-chan you're scari—"

"And Zenkichi, don't interrupt me when I'm saying something important. Clear?"

"Y-yes!"

"Anymore interruptions!?"

"No ma'am!"

She pressed Hyuga's chest harder. "N-no ma'am…."

"I can't hear you?" She pressed harder.

"No ma'am!"

"Excellent." Medaka cleared her throat as she removed his feet from Hyuga's chest. Her glare subsided as she stared at the prone green-haired teenager coughing. "Now, as I was saying, it's clear that you were once a boy as innocent as an angel. You were undoubtedly not blessed with love and good fortune, leading you to walking the lonely path you walk today. Be at ease! I will make it so you would never do evil again or even say scathing words! I will take care of you thoroughly!" Medaka then clapped her hands as she gave him a sadistic smile. "Now give me twenty thousand swings!"

"B-but…."

"Oh, I apologize. Could someone hand me a spare bokutou?" One of the club members handed her one. She gave him a nod and thanks. Medaka then threw the wooden sword to the prone body of Hyuga close enough to his head to make him gulp. "Now stand up and give me those swings!"

"B-but…"

"I said now!"

"Y-yes!" Hyuga hurriedly stood up and began the swinging of his bokutou.

That done, she turned to the other club members, who stopped their routine to gawk at her. "Did I say stop!? Did any of you hear me say stop!?"

"No ma'am!"

"Then don't stop swinging!"

"Yes ma'am!" Thus, the rest of the members joined Hyuga with their current practice routine.

"Medaka-chan?" Medaka heard Zenkichi say, dropping her stern expression as she turned to face him.

"Yes, Zenkichi?" She smiled at her childhood friend.

"Umm… it seems you're doing fine… as expected. Sorry I was late. I got reprimanded by the homeroom teacher for being late to class."

"Is this related to Habatake Hyuga's case?"

"Ah, actually, yeah…. I wanted to tell you but it seems that he beat me to the punch. Hehe."

Medaka narrowed her eyes at him. "So his accusations of you beating him were true?"

"He attacked me first, you see. I was just defending myself."

"Very well, I accept your excuse. But next time, try your best not to be late."

"Sure…. so…. What are we going to do now?"

"Well, you still have to join them." Medaka gestured to the practicing Kendo practitioners behind her.

"Aw man…."

Medaka could not help but grin at his petulant attitude. It was kind of cute.

She was really glad that Zenkichi was back.

-000-

The sky was already turning crimson, the sun setting to give way to the inevitable darkness that is the night. Students were already trickling out of the Academy while some were putting away their respective club's equipment.

The Kendo Club members already left, same with Hyuga, battered, bruised, and subdued, but somehow the new group was giving out a sense of satisfaction that was quite infectious.

It seemed Medaka succeeded again.

Zenkichi gave a sigh of relief as the business with the Kendo Club was finally over. He was even more relieved to breathe in fresh air after the grueling exercise Medaka put him through. However, he was still tired, his back slightly hunched as he walked beside her, each step an effort itself – a price of duty, a duty he needed to uphold the moment he agreed to become a member of the Student Council.

He couldn't help but see in his mind's eye a little blue-haired girl snickering at him.

Though, thinking about Shiranui.

"Since we're already finished, Medaka, can I go?" Zenkichi said, breaking the silence.

"Hmm? Are you going to meet up with Miss Shiranui?"

"Yeah, she lives near my house so we always walk home together."

"I see…." His childhood friend seemed… crestfallen, but only for a moment.

"Medaka?"

"I'm sorry, Zenkichi. You see, I asked Miss Shiranui a favor to head the recruitment meeting for the remaining positions of the Student Council."

"Are you sure? She might not take it seriously."

Medaka shook her head. "I'll be honest, Zenkichi. I don't plan on taking any new members through the meeting. I only asked Miss Shiranui to take my place to deliver the message."

"Wow." No-one asks Hansode Shiranui to do anything, no one… without a price… well except for him…. But he had the backing of several extreme relationship building experiences. "How did you manage that?"

"I told her the truth that I want to find new members my way. She eagerly nodded and agreed with my reasoning, too eagerly if I might say. She said that it was more fun to watch the ensuing chaos or something along those lines. She seems to be a really interesting… person."

It seemed Shiranui had some unique effect towards Medaka. Though he hoped the blue-haired girl won't show her true nature to his childhood friend just for fun. Not now, and hopefully not ever. The consequences that he could think of in the top of his head were just too severe.

Maybe, if his diminutive friend would join him in the Student Council, he could prevent such thing happening.

"Then why won't you invite her to the council? She would be perfect for any position."

"I already tried. I asked her to be my Vice-president. She only shook her head and never told me the reason for turning me down." Zenkichi couldn't help but notice Medaka stiffen a bit, though it was only for a moment, almost unnoticeable unless you're really looking.

It seemed Shiranui already expected his move to contain her. She probably just wanted to enjoy watching him worrying about her future interactions with Medaka.

Still, Shiranui was his best friend, and like any normal best friend would do, he should see if she was all right and wait for her work to finish so that they could go home together.

"Well, why don't we check up on her?"

"Very well."

They arrived in a hallway where the classroom in which the meeting was being held was located, the shouts and complains of attending students echoing towards them. As they arrived near the door, the ruckus became louder. It was so chaotic that the students bickering never noticed their arrival, except for Shiranui of course. His diminutive blue-haired friend was sitting in a seiza position on a table for teachers like an empress watching her subjects. She had a very wide grin on her face, her eyes closed, obviously delighting at the chaos Zenkichi was sure she caused.

As she turned to face them, her manic grin changed to a sweet smile as she saw him, though it somewhat lessened to a degree when she noticed Medaka was with him.

Shiranui and Medaka then began to stare at each other.

Zenkichi kept quiet, afraid he might say something wrong.

He then saw Shiranui and Medaka nod at the same time.

"Zenkichi, let's go. It seems the meeting is still not done."

"Ah… Are you sure? I don't really understand. I'm worried Shiranui might get upset if we just leave her."

"Don't worry. I don't think she would."

Well, it seemed both girls had come to a silent agreement.

"Oookay…. If you say so…."

Giving a nod to Shiranui, which she returned in kind, they left.

Medaka was quiet after their meeting with Shiranui, somewhat making Zenkichi nervous. So when they arrived at the school gates, he looked away, blushing, and asked, "Say Medaka-chan, s-since we finished our first request as a Student Council, can't we, you know, commemorate it?"

"Huh?"

"You know… maybe buy something to remember this moment?"

"Well, since you asked, I do have an idea. I really think it would be perfect for the council's room."

"Oh?"

He saw Medaka widen her eyes. "Oh no, let's run, Zenkichi!"

"Huh? H-hey!" Zenkichi's face was crimson, further enhanced by the setting sun, as Medaka took one of his arms, dragging him to god knows where. He wanted to complain, he really wanted to. But even if Medaka was dragging him towards hell, he would definitely treasure this moment as his childhood friend held his hand while smiling like the young girl that she's supposed to be. It was like they were a couple excited to begin their date after school. Even if he were the only one between them thinking along those lines, he would still remember that particular event as one of his happiest.

Too bad for him, Medaka put a halt to the amazing experience by letting go of his hand as they arrived at a nearby shop that sells potted plants and flowers. The moment they entered the small shop, her eyes began to roam everywhere, eagerly looking for some plant, not even noticing an old lady that was getting ready to close her shop. Zenkichi apologized to the old lady. He really was glad that the old lady was kind enough to accept his apology with a smile. Though he couldn't help but blush madly as the kind shop owner decided that they were lovers. He tried to deny her assumption but she just laughed and told him to take their time as she went back to her work.

He glanced at Medaka, still madly blushing, divining her expression to whether she noticed the old lady's comments, but it seemed she never heard his discussion with the shop owner from the seriousness on her beautiful face, still searching for something inside the shop….

Then suddenly, as if she was a suddenly turned-on robot, she began to walk towards a corner displaying some potted flowers. She then gently took one of them, her face morphing to a giddy girl who found what she was desperately looking for. Curious, Zenkichi decided to see what she found, looking over her hunched back. He recognized the white bell-like flowers – a beautifully potted Lily of the Valley.

Medaka stood up and turned to face him, handing him the potted flower, but not before taking one flower and stashing it into her uncanny valley. He wanted to chastise her for what she did, but the gentle expression on her face made him think otherwise, their touching hands not helping.

As she began to speak, his heart began to beat faster, so fast that it almost made him faint, "Zenkichi, please take care of me as my General Affairs Manager from now on."

"Likewise, please take care of me, Medaka-chan."

Even if it was only a commemoration of their first accomplished request and his joining of the Student Council, Zenkichi really was glad he was back by her side.


	2. Arc 1: Interlude 1

21st Century Schizoid Man

Written By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction and was only made for fun. I don't own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. This story will also be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, adult situations with underage characters, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Interlude 1: Hansode Takeout

The sun was high, the trees and grass lush and green. The birds were singing far away from them and the flowers blooming. Too bad the cherry blossom trees around the school already bloomed or it would have been perfect. It was still spring… and Zenkichi was watching Shiranui wolf down the takeouts, ranging from twenty bowls of ramen to several dozen boxes of donuts and other sweets while he settled for some okonomiyaki.

They were eating their lunch in one of Hakoniwa's circular picnic shelters — it had an old Victorian design with a domed and red tiled roof — sitting on a circular marble bench with a circular marble table in the middle while facing each other.

Zenkichi couldn't help but notice some students staring at Shiranui, whom she kept ignoring for her food, amazed and clearly relieved that she won't be terrorizing the local cafeteria anytime soon.

"I'll be honest, Zenkichi. This takeout idea of yours does have some merit," his blue-haired friend said between mouthfuls.

Zenkichi grinned at the compliment. "Right? You can eat more by calling in advance!"

Shiranui threw an empty bucket of fried chicken to a neat pile of empty takeout containers behind her. She then began licking her hand like a child. "But I still miss my old stomping grounds."

"Shiranui."

"Yeah, yeah." She waved a wet hand, which Zenkichi fixed by wiping it with his handkerchief. He also wiped her small mouth. "Thanks," she said as after he finished, giving him a smile in return. She then picked up a box of donuts, squealing in excitement after she opened it.

"No problem," Zenkichi said as he crumpled the handkerchief within a fist, making it disappear with one of his skills. Even if the pieces of cloth were a pain to wash after, he just couldn't let Shiranui go unsupervised, especially with her way… of eating. The truth was he never really cared about the inconvenienced students. He just wanted Shiranui to have a more positive image within the student body, and hopefully pave the way for her to make a few friends other than him. It was also the reason why he asked Medaka to have her join the Student Council. Too bad the plan failed before it even began.

"So, how's the council work, Zenkichi?" Shiranui asked with a donut in her mouth, breaking him out in his reverie. She already knew — he knew — she just wanted to see his reaction.

"Could be better," he said remembering some of the things that he had done in the name of the Student Council.

"Could be better? It's hilarious!" She ate a whole donut without visibly chewing, opening her mouth widely. He could see thin worm-like appendages from the inside hungrily gnawing at the sweet delight with their buzz-saw teeth before she could close her mouth.

He ignored it.

"Yeah, for you!"

"Aww, don't be a spoilsport. I especially liked that request with the mangy dog."

Of course, Shiranui ends up liking the request that made him humiliate himself in front of a dog. "You know I'm bad with animals," he said. Yes, Shiranui knows and Medaka doesn't. Then again, said trait was one of his many recent additions.

He could still remember being tasked by Medaka to search for the so called 'puppy' of a third year upperclassman — she was an easygoing senior with a very strong pretty onee-san feel to her by the name of Urushi Akizuki — without knowing they were similar in regards to animals. Without revealing that particular deficiency of his, he agreed, thinking it was for the best. Medaka wasn't really the most controlled person if faced with animals, cute or otherwise, due to her past experiences. She was just too powerful of an existence for normal animals to handle, and she was too erratic. It was better for her to handle the other requests they had received that day.

So with doubts plaguing his mind, he approached Shiranui to help him search the lost 'puppy' using a very cute and cartoony rendition of the lost 'puppy' as reference. It turned out it was an abnormally large borzoi, or Russian wolfhound, with large fangs and a spot on the fur on its forehead that eerily looked like some arcane symbolism to complete its boss monster look. Ignoring all the obvious connotations of danger, he approached the dog, Shiranui cheering far away behind a storage shed — the request would have definitely failed if the dog noticed her.

With bated breath, he began speaking to the dog by using [Lingual Logic]. With the skill, not only could he understand any kind of language, he could also speak them, to the point where he sounded like natural speaker. Then again, speaking to a dog by making barking sounds was a humiliating experience in itself, especially with Shiranui laughing her cute ass off behind the shed. Still, even with his perfect caninenese, the abnormally large dog just ignored him, snoring under the shade of a tree.

"Wan, wan! Ahyahya!" Shiranui cutely mimicked a dog's sound from the other side of the table, obviously remembering that particular embarrassing episode. Then again, he just can't get angry at how cute she barked. After laughing, she composed herself, taking a long breath of air in for show. "You should have just restrained that mangy mutt to begin with."

"I just wanted to try a more… peaceful method."

Shiranui only shook her head. "What you did in the end was much more peaceful than the gentlest thing that I could have done to that mutt."

Zenkichi had to admit, she had a point. He could remember exhausting all the methods he could think of, dancing, shouting at its face, doing funny faces like a retard.

"I really liked it when you did 'THE WORM'!" she suddenly said, capitalizing the words 'the' and 'worm'.

He looked away from her in embarrassment. Yeah, he did 'The Worm'. Whatever possessed him to do those things in front of a dog that could not even acknowledge his presence he would never know. However, at least a certain someone was having fun.

Frustrated, he threw the entire pretense about the getting the dog without harming it as he gripped its head. It growled and opened its eyes, but then it widened its eyes in obvious fear and began hyperventilating, yelping in panic, too afraid to even move from its place, or break out from his grip. The moment he could see the dog's mouth foam, he let go, dropping the then unconscious but still alive beast to the ground. It was moments later that the veterinarians that Shiranui called came to take the dog.

"I'm only glad Akizuki-senpai never asked about the nervous state of the dog."

"Oh, she should be glad. I doubt the mutt would leave her side anytime soon."

Zenkichi nodded in silent agreement with his best friend. He then remembered another request incident. "I liked the request about the bullying case within the Athletics Club."

"Feh," she said, spraying some crumbs of what she was currently eating. "It was tame, if I was the one doing the bullying, that meek girl would be in the mental asylum right now. Ahyahya!"

Zenkichi ignored her… unconventional comment. It was the usual bullying case, something that Zenkichi was glad for since it was normal. It was also the Student Council's first non-anonymous request — he found out about Hyuga being the one who sent the first request through Shiranui.

The bullied girl, a distraught second year member of the Athletics Club named Aria Ariake, came to them bringing a note — it was written with letters composed of newspaper and magazine clippings — and her wrecked spikes she found on her locker. It seemed that the school chose her as a representative, a rare feat for a junior, sparking jealousy, and in turn, bullying within their ranks against her. She then cried, afraid and confused, on the verge on losing her trust on her teammates.

Thus, after they calmed her down, and assuring her that they would get down on the case, the bullied girl left. Medaka then decided to do the detective routine with Zenkichi as the 'Watson' to her 'Sherlock'. She even decided to dress up the part, complete with an Inverness cape, a fake pipe, and a Deerstalker hat. With her awesome deductive powers, ones he was sure surpasses even those of the eponymous English detective — it involved reading between the lines of the bullied girl's dialogue, the brand of her shoes, the newspaper and magazine used to write the letter, and the nature of the bullying — they narrowed the suspect to a single person. Again, with the help of Shiranui, they found their suspect, a black-haired third year girl named Isagi Isahaya.

"Ah, but I did enjoy the chase!" she suddenly said, as she grinned knowingly at him.

Like his best friend said, the supposed to be cordial encounter devolved into a convoluted and somewhat bizarre chase scene involving several doors inside the Athletics Club building, weirdly resembling an old American cartoon about a talking dog, after Medaka's careless inquiry. Speaking of trans-dimensional doors, Zenkichi couldn't help but narrow his eyes towards Shiranui, who ignored him to focus on her food. Thankfully, only he, and Shiranui, noticed the weirdness of the chase, with Medaka too focused on her task while the suspect obviously couldn't think of anything but running for her life.

Still, in the end, Medaka caught her. She then gave the girl a preaching with the setting sun as her backdrop to dramatically increase the effect.

"It seemed that the girls became best friends in the end. I really like good endings."

"Do I look like I'm interested in all that mushy stuff?"

Of course, he knows she isn't, but he is. That's what normal people feel after a good ending after all.

"Bah! By the way, you absolutely look ravishing in black!" Shiranui suddenly changed subjects. "The Student Council uniform really does suit you, Zenkichi."

"Uhh… you only comment about this now?" Zenkichi gestured to his current attire. "I've worn this since before the bullying request."

"Just wanted to talk bout somethin'," his diminutive best friend said as she bit the donut box on one side while shrugging. "At least you ain't wearing your jersey under your jacket."

Zenkichi avoided Shiranui's gaze.

"Wow, you did try it huh? Even I'm not that evil. Subjecting other people to the horror of such terrifying fashion sense, how dastardly rebellious."

"Hey, it's not that bad!"

Shiranui dismissed his complaint; spitting the box towards the air and making it do a parabolic flight towards the pile behind her back. "Oh? So what made you think twice?"

"Because it isn't normal."

"Ah, I thought so." Shiranui shook her head and then opened a box of chocolate cake. She then dipped her finger to its icing and placed her chocolaty finger to her mouth, visibly delighting at the sweetness. "However, liking the rebel fashion like that, are you still in your banchou phase?"

"Hey, hey. I'm not fighting people to impose my superiority anymore, aren't I?"

"But you still fight." She then took an already sliced piece and waved it in front of him.

"It's the intent behind it that counts, damn it. At least I'm not gathering underlings."

"Nope, you've been demoted!"

"Kih!" Angry but unable to do any witty reply; he took the slice of cake Shiranui's about to take a bite of and ate it, savoring every bite in front of her horrified face. "Ha! That'll teach you the consequences of mocking me!" he said after he gulped the last bite.

"Zenkichi!" Upset, his best friend launched her own small body towards him, making him fall to his back on his side of the marble bench, hidden from view by the pile of empty boxes and the circular table made of marble. She then opened the buttons to his uniform in record time, intent of doing something horrible to his nubile body.

"Ah! Hey! Ahahaha!" Shiranui began to tickle him, her sticky finger from the cake she was eating making the attack worse. "No fair!"

He tried to return the attack, he really did, but Shiranui was relentless, never giving him the opportunity to counter. She even began using her tongue, licking the chocolate stuck to his body. "C'mon, Shiranui!" Blushing, he tried to nudge her to let go as the light-hearted play was turning its course to NSFW — not safe for work — waters.

Shiranui stopped her licking as she pressed her head to his naked chest. "No. I quite enjoy it here."

"Don't act so spoiled, Shiranui."

"Why can't I?"

"We're in public. People might think we're doing something indecent."

"I don't care. Let them be."

"I can't, Shiranui, especially now that I'm a member of the Student Council."

Shiranui relented, even fixing his uniform, but not before giving him a hicky on his right shoulder. At least it wouldn't be visible. Grinning, she let go of him, and stood up, returning to her earlier perch on the other side of the table. "That'll teach you for stealing my food." She gave him a mock glare, but then her expression turned into something more sensual... well, as sensual as her current childlike body could show. "Not that I mind it," she purred.

"Nah," Zenkichi said as he rose from the bench, patting his uniform to remove some creases, "I get the message."

"Mou." The disappointment that appeared on her cute face disappeared as soon as it appeared and she then shrugged. "Oh well." She then returned on indulging her hunger.

Feeling hungry after their by-play, he pointed to a box of pizza. "Hey, can I have a slice?"

"Say please."

"Please…."

She nodded, her earlier anger placated.

As he took a bite, he began to remember something that he wanted to ask Shiranui ever since the first request of the Student Council. After munching on the cheesy goodness, he asked, "Say, don't you think Medaka-chan's a bit different?"

Shiranui narrowed her eyes a bit. "Why ask?"

"I don't know…. She just seems more grounded?"

"'Human' would be the right word you're looking for, not that I would know her changes. I'm not her childhood friend."

"Well, I don't think that's the word I'm looking for…. You make her past self sound... well, not human."

The only reply that he got from his blue-haired friend was a look that said, "Are you kidding me?"

Zenkichi cleared his throat. Sometimes he would forget some details. "Anyway, you get what I'm asking, right?"

Shiranui nodded.

"To be clear, what I'm meaning to ask is… what happened to her when I was gone?"

Shiranui stopped from her eating and seriously looked at him. "Do you really want to know?"

Zenkichi nervously nodded.

She shook her head, her eyes shadowed by her blue hair. The silence was palpable making Zenkichi worry.

And then she answered.

"She was raped like a common gutter whore."

He could feel anger suddenly explode from within as he stood up and gripped her shoulder across the table so hard that if she was actually just a human girl, the bones in her shoulder would have been broken. "Don't you fucking joke like that, Shiranui," he growled.

Instead of grimacing in pain, or even just flinching, she just sat unaffected by his grip. She then raised her head and looked into his eyes, delight and ecstasy clear as the day on her face. She then raised her hands, unhindered, and gently caressed his face.

"I really like it when you're like this, Zenkichi," she purred, and without preamble, she kissed him. Her tongue was probing, dancing an unholy dance inside his mouth, with her other appendages squirming along like macabre backup dancers. If he weren't so angry with her, he would have enjoyed it, welcomed it, and even returned it. However, he persevered, his gritting teeth preventing her from getting what she wanted.

After a few moments, Shiranui let go of the one-sided kiss. "Mou, you're really angry, aren't you?"

Zenkichi intensified his glare.

Shiranui visibly deflated from her emotional high as she lowered her head to avoid his gaze. "I'm sorry."

"You should be." Letting go of his grip, he returned to his seat. "Now talk."

"I really don't know, Zenkichi." Her voice was subdued and her back hunched. "Remember, I was always with you after that… incident in my village, so I can't manage my own resources. I can't even rely on the zaibatsu and my family, as they just stopped giving me information about the Kurokami heir." However, she recovered on her own, turning serious unlike her usual self. "Shadows are moving, Zenkichi, and so is the Light, especially now that they are sure that man won't be coming back from the dead." Shiranui wistfully smiled. "They were lucky."

Zenkichi's anger subsided as he remembered. "Yeah, really lucky." Zenkichi sighed. "Are the others involved?"

"I doubt they would betray you, Zenkichi. Not after everything. Though, if they did," she said as her grin impossibly reached ear to ear, "I'll take care of them myself." She then shook her head. "Then again, I really doubt it."

Zenkichi nodded. "Any idea of this plan of theirs is?"

She shook her head, her grin gone. "It's not the 'Flask Plan', which you already know with her on our side. I only know that it will involve the current Student Council and several students, specifically Medaka, and it would take place within the academy." She then took a slice of chocolate cake and bit on it. "Do you want me to call them?"

"Not yet."

"Very well."

The zaibatsu might get suspicious, even with their positions they were holding within the group of companies. Not even mentioning the other one — too whimsical and, more importantly, currently indisposed until that chaotic… individual arrives to pursue his own interest against them. He was already hearing disturbing rumors about him.

Zenkichi then decided to return to their original topic. "So no idea about Medaka-chan's changes at all?"

"Beats me. Maybe she just realized how important you are to her."

"Really?"

Shiranui laughed. "Ahyahya, as if."

"Shiranui!"

"Ahyahya, sorry, sorry, just can't help it."

Zenkichi sighed. After Shiranui finished laughing, both turned to silence as they continued to finish their lunch. However, the quiet atmosphere didn't last long as he noticed a familiar green-haired guy with glasses running towards them. It was Habatake Hyuga.

After Medaka's very effective reform program, Hyuga's attitude turned for the better. Heck, he was even cordial enough to co-head the Kendo Club with its current captain, Mahibi Moji, by acting as his vice-captain.

"Can I disturb you guys for a minute?" he said as he reached their picnic shed.

"Sure," Zenkichi answered while Shiranui was obviously planning to ignore the guy. He then took a slice of pizza and offered it to the glasses-wearing guy. "Lunch?"

Hyuga declined the offer. "Nah, I've already finished. The line thinned very fast, you see." He took a glance at Shiranui, then at the large amount of food on the marble table, and nodded, as he understood why the usual chaos of the cafeteria was inexistent. "Takeout?"

"Yup."

"Well, in behalf of the other students who use the cafeteria, thank you."

Zenkichi heard Shiranui scoff, still not stopping her eating.

"Nah, I was just doing my job. Eventually, someone would send a request to us. I just pre-empted it." He took a bite to the pizza he earlier offered. "So, why are you here?"

Hyuga scratched the back of his head, somewhat embarrassed. "I can't find the president, so I settled for you, Hitoyoshi-san."

"Hmm?"

"You see, I wanted to warn her about some students who were planning something, well… bad towards her; Kanoya or something."

"Hisshuu Kanoya?"

He nodded. "Yeah that, guy."

Zenkichi recalled a delinquent-faced second year student who Medaka beat up for using underhanded tactics against her when they were still campaigning for the Student Council Presidency.

"Heeh, so he's still holding a grudge against Medaka-chan, huh. Thanks for the tip."

"Well that's all. With that we're even."

"Huh?"

"Well, I did attack you."

Zenkichi was confused.

"But I beat you back."

"It's the idea behind it! Sheesh, well that's all." Without even waiting for his reply, he left.

"Uhh, okay... That was weird."

"Feh, what a tsundere," Shiranui spat a bitten off piece of biodegradable Styrofoam from the container of the yakisoba she was eating. "So what cha' gonna do?" Shiranui then asked, as she began slurping a bowl of ramen.

"Nothing, I doubt he could even hurt Medaka-chan."

"Confident are we?"

"Well, maybe I'll look into this."

She just nodded. Suddenly she perked up; snatching Zenkichi's already bitten off slice of pizza from his hand. She then uncharacteristically ate it in a very slow way, relishing the cheesy oven cooked fast food like it was ambrosia. After she finished, she then asked, "So what's the council's plan in regards to the clubs?" changing subjects.

"Well, since Medaka-chan is busy with her suggestion box requests, I was assigned to check each club's status for reference on dividing the budget."

Normal grunt work for a normal council member like him, excellent.

"Are you planning on taking each club like a storm and making a name for yourself?"

"Huh? As if I would do something like that. I'll do it the normal way, by asking questions."

"Well, good for the oh so normal you."

"Isn't it?"

Shiranui only replied with a sigh.

-000-

Notes:

Need to remind you readers, the first chapter wasn't exactly the first chapter of this story, so any actions the characters did might seemed forced, especially with Zenkichi. If you felt even a bit of irritation on how Zenkichi keeps spouting normal this and normal that, feeling that he was shoving his normal obsession down your throats in his POV, then good for me because I've definitely done my job.

As you've might noticed, the update was fast. Don't expect something like this would always happen. I just had time and used it to write this interlude.

Oh, and thank you WolfensteinVII for your beta work. Without you, the chapters wouldn't turn out so good.

That's all. I hope you've enjoyed reading this and good day.


	3. Arc 1: Chapter 2

21st Century Schizoid Man

By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction and was only made for fun. I don't own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. This story will also be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, adult situations with underage characters, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Chapter 2: Nekomi Curiosity

Nekomi Nabeshima was a very proud individual. And why wouldn't she be? She was third dan in Judo, and known throughout the Judo world as a rising star. Some people might think that having a title like "King of Fouls" — where the hell did those media people get the idea to use 'king' anyway, she was a natural woman through and through; no offense to LGBT's, but she wasn't even a lesbian — would be an insult to her. However, she was proud of it, despite the 'king' part, because people see her as a legitimate threat. Yes, she admits that she cheats, but only in outside matches, of course. She loves the sport too much to use underhanded tactics in an official competition. In addition, even with the negative connotation of her title, people respect her, enough that she became the captain of the prestigious Judo Club of Hakoniwa Academy. Yes, she has accomplished a lot for her young age and was damn proud of it.

However, there were things that still made her frustrated, enough that she would wail like an insane woman in her room, screaming profanities on her pillow. She might not look like it with her usual smiling and cheerful demeanor — great for making opponents underestimate her — but she hated natural geniuses and people so talented that they could learn things in record time. The hard work of others, the time and the sweat, the sacrifices; in the face of real genius, all of those said things would be inconsequential, no more than just a pile of crap.

People might say, "With enough hard work, one can surpass geniuses." Hah! In their dreams! People like that should wake up! The real world is not some shounen manga where the power of friendship and hard work can help you succeed!

Nekomi took a calming breath, leaning on a nearby tree. Sometimes, she couldn't help but rant at the unfairness of it all. Regardless of her internal rants, nothing would change. She's not some god that had the power to change the world. Thus, she had to accept the natural order of things, that there were always geniuses, and regardless of what she did or what she would do in the future, keeping up with them is impossible. Conform to society and all that.

However, she still hated the peacock Kouki Akune, the so-called "Prince of Judo", with his show-off attitude and his natural genius, even if only secretly. After only a year in the club, a year into Judo, he had already attained second dan, a feat that took Nekomi years to accomplish. She could remember almost crying when he received the black belt, frustrated at a genius besting her, again.

All her life geniuses surrounded her. Like her parents, both world-famous archaeologists and lauded as the best in the field. They were famous due to their discovery of a never-before-found temple in the outskirts of Egypt, a few years back. Thus, people always expect a lot from her, always comparing her to her parents, her efforts always not enough. Even during her years of schooling, the schools her parents enrolled her in were always for the gifted, frustrating her even more. She sometimes wondered why they adopted her in the first place when they were always away with their digs and conventions.

Then at last, she discovered Judo, the one thing she knew she was at least a bit talented, and worked her ass on becoming the best. She even dreamed of becoming the first eleventh dan in the world, to become the best in her chosen art, until Akune came and her dreams came crashing down with the emergence of his god-given talent. It was even more frustrating since she was the one that thought him all he knew about Judo in the first place.

Yet, even with such negative thoughts twisting in her mind, she still kept her smile as she followed an ugly second year leading the only member of Medaka Kurokami's Student Council, the person that was in her mind constantly since she saw him carry that bloody faced kendo prodigy to the nurse's office, the first year class one Zenkichi Hitoyoshi.

The strawberry-blonde intrigued her. How could the academy mess up and dump someone who obviously had special abilities in a standard class instead of a Special class or even Class 13? Was it a fluke? Mistype of paperwork? Or was it intentional? These questions have been plaguing her mind ever since. Her curiosity was just too much, so she decided to follow him when she had time. She was there when he, the chairman's granddaughter, and the president chased that girl in the Athletics Clubs until they entered the Athletics Hall, and she was also there when he made the large beast of a dog faint. She was sure that he was an Abnormal, or at the very least, a Special. What she wanted to know was why? Why was he in Class 1?

There were also those girls that he was seen hanging-out with. The Shiranui girl was also an enigma, a diminutive girl who could impose fear into those that crossed her. Was she also an Abnormal? Why was she also in Class 1? Regardless, she respected her, especially with her shadowy and underhanded methods. Then there was Medaka Kurokami, the most talked about girl in the academy. As expected, she was in Class 13, befitting of her genius. How she hated her.

How could such a normal looking guy be with two such extraordinary women? Heck, if she didn't know better, he was dating both of them at the same time. Was she in a romantic comedy story of the harem genre? Was she one of their background characters? One of his romantic interests? She hopes not. Heck, why was she even asking such Meta questions?

Regardless, she was intent on following him and find out what made him tick.

Shadowing behind the two male students like a cat stalking her prey, she followed them until they stopped in front of a classroom, inside one of Hakoniwa's old and unused buildings. As they opened the dilapidated door, she heard a number of voices greeting the ugly second year. The delinquent looking second year then closed the door with a bang. Carefully, Nekomi tiptoed towards the wooden door, peeking through one of its small holes. She could see the second year delinquent-looking person went and took a seat on a chair, took out a nail clipper, and began grooming his nails.

"As you can see," Nekomi heard the guy who was clipping his nails say, "I'm recruiting members to attack Medaka Kurokami at the moment." He blew on his nails as he finished. "How about you lend us a hand?"

"You do know I'm a member of Student Council, right?" Hitoyoshi said as he gestured to his armband, looking quite nervous as he glanced around him.

The students other then the conversing two began to surround them, preventing an escape from happening.

Even if she already knew that Hitoyoshi was capable of some esoteric skills, she still thought he was stupid, maybe even insane, to fall for such an obvious trap. In a way, she couldn't help but be worried. Not that she would help him if those guys decided they would rough him up. At most, she would just carry his broken body to the nurse's office afterwards.

"Settle down, guys," the short-haired man with a scar near one of his eyebrows ordered to his underlings, making them back off. "They're a rowdy bunch, aren't they? Anyway, to answer your question, yes, I know. But you're only her General Affairs Manager, which means you're just her bitch, right? I heard you didn't even want to join her in the first place. Aren't you annoyed you're just following her every whim? I bet even you're fed up with her by now." He then stood up, raising his hands thinking he was charismatic when the truth was he just looked like an epileptic. "If you follow me, I'll bring down that girl by force and take her place! It's time for the repressed to over throw her by force!"

Nekomi couldn't help but be amazed at the guy's stupidity. As if you could challenge the Student Council's authority just like that. She doubted a petition from him would even reach the Election Management Committee at the sheer arrogant idiocy he was emanating.

"You're just angry at Medaka-chan beating you up. It's even your fault in the first place, threatening girls to vote for you," Hitoyoshi reasoned still glancing at his surroundings, for a moment she was sure he stared at her, but dropped it as her being paranoid. She doubted he could see her eye through such a small hole, only large enough for a pencil lead to pass through. Right?

"Is that a no I'm hearing?"

"I don't know, what do you think?"

"Ha! You've got quite a mouth there. Too bad, it's going to be too swollen to be of use to you after this. Men! Sick'em."

Nekomi grinned as the show went from boring to interesting. She really wished she had popcorn.

One delinquent with an improvised bat studded with the sharp end of several nails attacked first, which Hitoyoshi dodged without effort, his nervous demeanor earlier replaced with a very serious one, his eyes narrowed to a glare. He then tripped his attacker, making him fall to his comrade beside him, tangling them both together until their heads hit a chair nearby knocking them both out.

Another one attacked the strawberry-blonde from behind, steel pipe in hand. Nekomi saw Hitoyoshi glance to the broken window, which she guessed was to see behind him, and dodged the attack by ducking to do a perfect three-hundred sixty degree leg sweep, tripping the attacker and those that joined him, making them knock-out each other.

She could see it now; Hitoyoshi was dodging his opponents precisely, with minimal movements. So precise that it was like he was a machine that could predict their movements. That was not all; he was somehow manipulating his opponents' movements like a puppet master making his opponent dance in his palms. In a way, it was unnerving.

Was he a clairvoyant? With that question in mind, she narrowed her eyes at the still ensuing fight. That's when she noticed him looking at a broken glass on the broken window to see the reflection of his opponents attacking behind his back. It seemed that he needed to see his targets for his ability to work. Nekomi could not help but grin wider, one point for her!

Still, even if she knew how to counter Hitoyoshi, his enemies did not, so after a few moments of substandard action, he made them all knock out themselves, with the leader, who was hiding behind his flimsy chair, the only remaining enemy.

"W-wait! C-can we talk about this for a second?"

"What can we even talk about," Hitoyoshi said as he raised an eyebrow and gestured to the pleading guy's unconscious underlings, "after this."

"Well, we could talk about... this!" Without preamble, the delinquent looking junior threw the chair at Student Council member and ran for the door.

Nekomi would have approved of such tactic if not for him running towards her direction. With all the speed she could muster, she ran away from the classroom, away from the door, hearing a crash as she turned to a corner. Even if she didn't see the end, anybody would already know the outcome — Zenkichi Hitoyoshi won a fight against a group of delinquents, alone, without so much as a scratch.

She only stopped her running after she reached the tree behind the Judo Club, chasing after her breath and feeling her heart pound loudly. She looked behind herself and saw no one who looked like the current general affairs manager of the Student Council. She could only guess that he never saw her. She hoped.

Still, that particular incident gave her additional insight to her current person of interest's character: he tries not to resort to violence as much as possible, and even then, he used moves that would only knock-out his opponents.

Then she remembered the bloody face of the kendo prodigy.

She shook head. With what she heard the kendo prodigy did back in his middle school, it was probably for the best. Even the way Hitoyoshi subdued the dog supports her hypothesis.

Then she realized that the only thing she gained from the recent tailing — she refuses to admit it was stalking — was the realization that Zenkichi Hitoyoshi was an all around nice guy. What the hell? Was she really in a romcom?

She hit her head to the tree to rid herself of such thoughts.

She had to admit it; she got nothing on him except for a weakness. It was also obvious that Hitoyoshi was avoiding her club for reasons unknown to her. That's when she decided, she had to engineer her own encounter with the strawberry-blonde male. She had always been curious with the suggestion box anyway.

-000-

Zenkichi could definitely attest that being the General Affairs Manager of the Student Council was a lot of work, especially since Medaka assigned him the job of checking each of Hakoniwa's student clubs. It was not an easy feat, as the academy was famous for its support to its student's creativity and development, with a definite emphasis on independence. Therefore, any club that adheres to the Academy's code could exist, leading to their abundance.

He had to check each club, and before he could even begin, he had to ask the permission of some of the committees that managed the clubs under them. It was a lot of work, from meeting eccentric leaders of the concerned committees, to visiting each club after classes. He could still remember those pair from the Diet Committee that kept annoying him about letting Shiranui eat at the cafeteria again, obviously enjoying the challenge on fulfilling her overwhelming demands.

Regardless, the Student Council was overworked, especially Medaka. with the towering paperwork the clubs, the committees, and the faculty suddenly dumped into her lap. There was so much to finish that several days had already passed from the last time they had fulfilled a request from the suggestion box. Just thinking about the upcoming budgeting problems always brought him headaches.

Medaka's overwhelming talents could only help her as much a single person with her capabilities could do. It's not like she could be in several places at the same time. They really need to fill up the other positions within the Student Council roster.

Hefting a thick folder containing all the information he had gathered on every club on the academy with his right arm — ignoring the one club he refused to visit — he grabbed a doorknob with his left. Twisting the metal locking mechanism, he opened the door to the Student Council's room, stumbling to a sight of Medaka ambidextrously using both of her hands while using four pens each for eight times the output with her self-assigned work.

The room changed a lot since; the most obvious were the number of potted plants of different kinds tastefully placed all over the place with the Lily of the Valley on the president's table. There was also a laptop with a printer on the long table, a much-needed device with their kind of work.

Without stopping, she acknowledged his presence by raising her head to look at him for a moment. She then returned to her work after he nodded in reply.

"Aren't you getting tired, Medaka-chan?" he said, taking a seat beside the long table.

"No," she answered without looking at him, utterly focused with her work.

Standing up, he went to a mini pantry where he made two cups of tea. After he finished, he took them both and placed one to Medaka's table far enough not to ruin her paperwork, while he sipped his. That seemed to get Medaka's attention as she looked up towards him.

"Thank you." Stopping from her work, she held the cup near her nose, smelling the calming aroma of the tea, and then took a sip. "I really needed it."

"No problem." He smiled in return, leaning on her table. "Don't you think we're being overworked here?"

Medaka took another sip. "Nonsense, we're perfectly capable of finishing this."

"I know, I know. It's just that, with this much work, the very reason you've campaigned for president is being left behind." Zenkichi gestured to the unfulfilled requests besides the suggestion box. "Not that I mind, but aren't you worried?"

"Never. As soon as we finished all this paperwork, we'll double time in accomplishing requests."

"How about we search for another member? I'm sure anyone we recruit would be of great help in lightening the work load."

"The time and place for a new member to join the Student Council will come. For now, we must do everything with our current manpower."

She really won't budge on her decision about just making a recruitment drive for new members. He didn't even know what her criterion for choosing was. For a second, he thought that maybe Medaka didn't actually want more members and just wanted to spend time with him, alone.

Zenkichi sighed. If only it was true.

"Then how about you take a break? Let's do one request, get you a downtime from all this paperwork."

"Hmm… maybe one request won't be that bad. But, after this, I'm doubling your work."

It was a small price he was willing to pay for her well-being. "Sure."

Medaka grinned as she placed her cup of tea on her table. "But before that, can I see the club report?"

"Ah, wait." After placing his own cup of tea on her table, he took the folder containing what she asked for and handed it to her.

As soon as she had it, she began reading, each page taking only a single glance. Even though Zenkichi had already seen her do such display of superhuman comprehension and reading speed many times over, he still couldn't help but be impressed, whistling in amazement. Suddenly, she stopped.

"Zenkichi."

"Yes, Medaka-chan?"

"Where's the report on the Judo Club?"

"Umm, well… ahh… you s—" He avoided Medaka's accusing stare, racking up his brain for an excuse. "I forgot?"

"That's not a valid excuse, Zenkichi."

Of course, it was a very flimsy excuse in the first place. It's not like he could actually forget the Judo Club, especially when that popular bastard was there.

"I'm still waiting for your reason, Zenkichi."

"Umm…" The jig was up, might as well reveal to Medaka his actual reason. "You remember Kouki Akune right?"

She tilted her head a bit, making Zenkichi blush. It was quite a cute gesture. "Junior Akune of the Judo Club? I remember him…. He was a pleasant man."

"And you know that I really don't get along with him, right?"

"You're spouting nonsense, Zenkichi. Even if you don't get along, that isn't enough of an excuse for not getting the report on the Judo Club. Be professional."

"You're one to talk," he wanted to say, but he didn't want to be beaten up by her for being too cheeky. Therefore, he settled for a polite answer. "I'm sorry." He bowed in deference to her argument.

"You should be." Medaka nodded as a fan suddenly appeared on her hands, fanning herself with it. "However, I think this is a golden opportunity for us to enact a popular saying, 'to hit two birds with one stone.'" Medaka then stood up and walked towards the stack of request letters. "Even though I have been swamped by work, I still take the time to read the request letters. And just this morning, a perfect one was submitted." She then took the topmost request letter and tossed it to him. He clumsily caught it.

"From Nekomi Nabeshima!?" he read the sender out loud. "Wow, the 'King of Fouls' of the Judo world herself."

"It seems you know of her," Medaka said as she nodded in approval.

"Well, you hear a lot when you interact with different clubs. She's the talk of every sports club for getting a college scholarship." Even if he did not know what she looked like, he would be cheering for her. From what he heard, she had enough potential to become an Olympic contender in the future. "So she's the captain of the Judo Club, I didn't know that." He then read the request letter.

"An exemplary student and Judo practitioner. Still, she has to step down as captain soon, so she's asking our help on finding the next captain."

Just as Medaka said, the letter detailed Nabeshima's need to find the next captain of her club. Nodding in understanding and steeling himself for the inevitable, he looked up to give his agreement when she did the unexpected again.

Medaka was undressing in front of him.

So just like last time, he rushed to close the windows, lock the door, and turn on the lights and the air-conditioner.

"Medaka-chan!"

She raised an eyebrow at him while she took off her short skirt. "You're still on with this shame thing between us, Zenkichi?"

"Yes!" He began to back away from her, afraid that he might lose control and do something inappropriate with her.

Medaka sighed. "Regardless of what you say, I will be firm on the belief that there shouldn't be any shame between the two of us."

"B-bu—"

"That's that, and no buts."

Zenkichi couldn't reply as he mulled over what his childhood friend said. However, being a teenage male, he appreciatively stared at Medaka as she began to wear the upper part of a judogi. He couldn't help but notice what she did next.

"Then why do you have to remove your skirt when you would wear it again anyway!?"

She never answered. She just threw a folded judogi tied in a white belt at him. He then noticed that she tied a red belt to her waist, a ninth to tenth dan belt, signifying her own exceptional talent at the sport. She probably was the highest-ranking judo practitioner in the academy. To satisfy his curiosity, he asked, "What rank are you in Judo again, Medaka-chan?"

"Hmm, eleventh dan."

Holy crackers! Zenkichi couldn't help but be bug-eyed and slack-jawed at Medaka. "E-eleventh dan!? When!?" He was expecting her to answer ninth dan, heck, even tenth dan, but eleventh dan!? As far as he knew, there wasn't an eleventh dan practitioner since… well, ever. Heck, just to reach 10th dan, one had to dedicate his entire life to practicing the art, and even then, you have to be extraordinarily talented. From his short tenure with the art in the past, he learned that only 15 masters have yet to reach tenth dan.

"Sometime after you left, I had a lot of free time," she said as she did poses in front of the mirror.

Here was Medaka, casually saying that she achieved such extraordinary skill level because she had free time. He could only imagine the reaction of other practitioners of the art. Shiranui would probably like it.

"Why didn't I hear about this!? The media would have flocked for such an achievement!"

"The media are an annoyance, so I made a promise with the master that awarded me this belt to never let out the news to the world. He seemed to agree with me." She then began to nod, patting away some creases on her judogi. "He was a very nice old man."

Her master understood the repercussions of the news — a very nice and very wise old man indeed.

He thought that maybe he could ask her to change her belt to a lower ranked color — a black belt would be less shocking — but decided against it. It would be denying Medaka of her accomplishment regardless of how ridiculously easy she accomplished it. It was something he wasn't amoral enough to do.

Then again, such accomplishment from her was normal.

"Aren't you going to change, Zenkichi?"

"Nah, it's not like I'm going there to challenge their club," Zenkichi said as he waved small notepad while he patted the pen in his breast pocket. "My trusty pen and paper companions will be enough."

"Bring the judogi, just in case."

-000-

Nekomi Nabeshima surveyed the members of her club practicing the art of Judo. She was smiling. However, her heart was pounding, erratically beating, making breathing a bit harder than usual.

She was excited.

She wasn't sure when the Student Council would visit, but just the thought of a certain strawberry-blonde inside the Judo Club made her feel as though she had butterflies in her stomach.

No, she wasn't in love. That would be stupid and plainly unrealistic.

She was just eager to sate her curiosity, to leave those sleepless nights mulling over him, to put the questions plaguing her mind to rest.

She definitely wasn't in love, damn it! She's definitely not heroine material for a romantic comedy! Moreover, she definitely wasn't being tsundere!

Nekomi took a long, calming breath.

Her overt curiosity had always been a problem for her. If anything were even remotely interesting to her, she would do almost anything to find out everything about it… everything. Still, she never had been interested in an actual person before. Most of the time, it was just inanimate objects, like the superball when she was just a child, or the artist behind the music she liked, some people in history, her favorite actors and actresses, fighting arts like Judo, archeology, some other things a teenager like her could be interested in, and cats. She always liked cats, who doesn't?

They're cute and cuddly, gentle and fluffy, what's not to like? Well, maybe not to those who were allergic or had some crazy phobia about the cute little things, but hey, she really liked them. Her like even extended to its feline cousins….

She took another large breath. Sometimes, her thoughts would go to weird directions when she was nervous.

The plan was simple. First, send a request letter to the Student Council for help in the Judo Club captain selection. She then waits for them to come, and when they arrive, let Medaka Kurokami go crazy with her whims and maybe let her have a match with Akune. She then would goad Hitoyoshi and Medaka after her match, and if all goes well, she then would have a match with him, probing him through taunts within the fight — the crux on sating her curiosity.

Nekomi took a glance to a certain super talented member of her club practicing with another member.

The sound of the door opening made her stop reviewing her plans, which also added an effect of stopping everyone else in the club from what they were doing. She saw Akune panic as he ran to the locker room, most likely to make himself more presentable to his dear Medaka-san. Blegh!

There at the large door entering their sanctuary was the ever-infamous Medaka Kurokami decked with a modified judogi, the pants replaced by a very short skirt while she wore a very loose gi showing off her… assets. It was an unpractical and vulgar combination. It was insulting. However, that was not all, as she noticed the color of her belt.

It has the color of red.

The smiling façade that she had almost broke from the intense anger she had felt after seeing the belt. It was the belt that she always wanted, the belt that she dreamt of, and it was on the waist of an unknown upstart she never heard of before in the Judo world.

She gritted her teeth. She could feel her eyes twitching. If only the belt was a fake, if only it was a prop, she would not feel such intense anger. But, it was real; it was an actual official red belt. Here was a person in front of her that had already reached at least ninth dan, walking towards her like a supermodel on a catwalk.

It was only thanks to the person walking behind Kurokami that she regained control of her exploding anger, reminding her why she had invited them in the first place. It was Hitoyoshi decked in his usual black Student Council uniform carrying a small notepad and a judogi bundled up with a white belt.

Offering her right arm for a handshake was a momentous effort, but she persevered to continue with her façade. "Well, well, thanks for coming all the way here," she said in the happiest tone that she could. "I'm the captain of the Judo Club, Nekomi Nabeshima. I really appreciate the time you have given us."

The woman that she currently hated the most returned her handshake. "Medaka Kurokami, the Student Council President. I'll do all I can to help you out today."

She should have left their first formal greeting at that, at the very least she still had her dream of becoming the first eleventh dan. However, the overwhelming curiosity got to her and it became her undoing.

"Thanks. I'm definitely depending on you guys. Oh, by the way, I can't help but notice that belt of yours. What rank are you?"

"I'm an eleventh dan."

Nekomi almost lost herself to hate, her vision coloring with a tint of red. She could taste the blood from her gums from gritting her teeth too much. However, she didn't. These geniuses won't have the satisfaction of seeing her angry at their achievements, to see her jealousy, to see her anguish, her pain.

Never!

Therefore, with great effort, she smiled, acting as if she was amazed and happy at Kurokami's accomplishment. The only thing she could not hide was the way her grip tightened. "Wow! That's impressive! It seems my worry for finding a suitable person to replace me as the captain is now over, especially with such a master to help me! I'm really glad!"

Kurokami tilted her head in wonder for a moment, and then nodded, as she returned the hard grip. "Of course, that's what we're here for."

Nekomi forced herself not to wince, her hand hurting from Kurokami's grip. The large-breasted girl probably thought she was issuing a challenge. What a joke! Does she think she's in a sports manga?

Both then let go of the handshake, with Nekomi turning to face Hitoyoshi, offering another handshake."You too, I'm really grateful for your help… umm?" she said, her anger subsiding a bit to welcome the giddiness of meeting her person of interest for the first time face-to-face. She never noticed his blue eyes before.

"M-my name is Zenkichi Hitoyoshi, Nabeshima-senpai."

How cute… he stuttered. Not that it stopped her from hating Medaka Kurokami and the geniuses that plagued her life.

The nervous teenager then shook her hand.

Speaking of another genius, she let go of his hand — it wasn't calloused enough to define him as hardworking, disappointing — and decided to tell them about Akune.

"By the way, I heard you guys knew one of the club members, a certain Kouki Akune?"

Of course, she noticed how Hitoyoshi narrowed his eyes at the mention of Akune's name. It was definitely interesting.

"Yes," Kurokami replied. "We know of him, we were school mates back in middle school."

"Hooh, then this would be quite a reunion."

Geniuses really do flock together, how utterly expected.

"But where is Junior Akune? I don't see him anywhere."

Nekomi only smiled in reply, as she glanced at the strawberry-blonde from time to time, noticing how he winced and fidgeted at every mention of the most talented member of the Judo Club.

Just as they say, "Speak of the devil and devil will come." as Akune appeared with all the flourish that he could, walking towards them like a character from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure. He probably was a fan. However, when he noticed Hitoyoshi, he began to circle around him, which the strawberry-blonde copied, both walking in circles facing each other. Nekomi was sure both really liked the said series for them to copy a scene unconsciously.

Yes, she was also a fan. Not that she was really hiding it. It's just that no one really asked.

"Hooh, so you finally decided to show your face, little worm," Akune said, sneering at Hitoyoshi.

"What's it to ya?" Hitoyoshi said, glaring back.

"Oh, it means a lot to me, you coward."

"Tch! You don't know anything."

What a reunion it was! Now Nekomi was curious. She then turned to a nearby source if information. "Do you know what they are talking about?" she whispered to Kurokami.

The purple-haired president never replied. Instead, she stood in between the two. "Stop this nonsense, at once. Zenkichi, stop with the glaring, and Junior Akune, stop antagonizing my general affairs manager."

Both relented, putting an end to their impromptu standoff, all the while Hitoyoshi kept whispering, "You don't know everything," while Akune gave Kurokami an apologetic look.

"Sorry about that," Akune said as he walked towards the longhaired girl. "But really, it's good to see you again, Medaka-san."

"Yes," the Kurokami girl smiled gently at him, "it's good to see you too."

The two definitely had a history. Nekomi then took another glance at Hitoyoshi, who was leaning on the wall beside the door Akune came out earlier while staring at the genius couple with narrowed eyes.

Then the buxom girl's smile subsided as her expression turned stern as steel and she clutched the blonde's head to bring his face close to hers, "However, I find your way of calling other people degrading names… appalling."

Akune blushed, mesmerized by the girl manhandling him. "Yes Medaka-san, anything you say!" Nekomi never pegged the blonde male as a masochist before.

As Kurokami let go of Akune, the president then turned to face her silent audience; the other members of the club. "Now for the important matters. To those who aren't in the know, I and my general affairs manager are here to help your captain in selecting her successor." That seemed to excite the rest of the club members, some eager to challenge and learn from a master of Judo, some to satisfy their perverted desires form the look of several drooling males, and to have the chance to become the next captain. The scantily clad girl then glanced at Akune and said, "Junior Akune, I'll take you on later, for now you should talk with Zenkichi. I really wish that both of you could settle your differences."

That woke up Akune from his blushing stupor, his expression turning serious as he nodded solemnly. He then went towards Hitoyoshi, Nekomi following just behind the blonde club member. He then leaned to the wall like his rival, the gap provided by the door between them becoming their 'Wall of Jericho'.

Nekomi just stood near the tally board, a place within hearing range of the leaning boys.

"Now if I had to say," Kurokami said, "Judo is not something that is taught, it is something that is learned and therefore!" She then did the basic stance of Judo, grinning challengingly at the captain successor prospects. "We'll start with judgment, judgment of your attacks! Anyone who thinks they can get a good one on me, name yourself and come forward! I'll take you all on!"

Nekomi had to respect such show of confidence and could even understand Kurokami looking down at the club with her apparent skill rank and the advanced techniques she was showing. She still hated the purple-haired genius, though.

Seeing as the other club members were under good hands, Nekomi turned her attention to the tensioned duo who were on the opposite sides of the male locker room door.

"Hey, coward, Medaka-san wants us to reconcile," Akune said starting their conversation while watching Kurokami with her captain selection trials.

"What's to reconcile? You hate me and I really hate you. That's that," Hitoyoshi said, doing the same as the blonde.

Akune shook his head, suddenly becoming the more mature one between the two. "I know…. But let's be civil with each other at the very least."

"Tch, way to make me feel like a bad guy."

"As far as I remember you're not a good guy either."

Hitoyoshi not a good guy? Well, Nekomi knew he had a brief stint as a delinquent. But still… bad guy was far from the image Nekomi had for him. She decided to listen more.

"So…" Akune said, somewhat unsure.

"So what?" Hitoyoshi replied with a glare.

"Why did you leave her?"

The question tickled Nekomi's curiosity.

"You already know…" Hitoyoshi said as he closed his eyes, grimacing.

Akune narrowed his eyes at the strawberry-blonde. "I refuse to believe you left her just for this 'Journey of Enlightenment' of yours."

Hitoyoshi opened his mouth, but he closed it again. He remained silent.

"Hmph! As expected of a coward."

The General Affairs Manager looked like a kicked puppy as he avoided Akune's glare. Thus, Nekomi decided to step in between the quarrelling duo. In the corner of her eyes, she saw the president slam the last of the regular club members and then began a lecture about how to improve their judo.

"Say, Akune-kun, it seems that Kurokami-chan is already finished with the others, why don't you challenge her?"

The tall blonde nodded and silently left to do what she said, but not before giving the strawberry-blonde one last scathing glare.

Nekomi then went and leaned on the wall beside Hitoyoshi.

"So, what do you think of our dear Akune?" she asked. In front, she saw Akune give Kurokami a challenge while stuttering and blushing like a fool. The purple-haired girl gladly accepted in hot-blooded excitement.

"I hate him," he said, his eyes seemingly tired. "But he's right."

"He's right, on what?" Nekomi turned her head to face him, her head tilting in inquiry. It was a chance to squeeze more information about him.

He turned to look at her. Again, Nekomi couldn't help but notice how unnaturally blue his eyes were. For a moment, she was sure they glowed, but shook it off as a hallucination due to lack of sleep.

"Curious aren't we? You have heard of the metaphor, "Curiosity killed the cat," right?"

"Just because 'neko' is part of my name doesn't mean you could use that metaphor against me."

"Well…."

"And why can't anyone be curious? The clubs up and coming 'Prince of Judo' having an argument with the Student Councils' General Affairs Manager, that's definitely interesting."

"But…."

"And as his current captain, I'm responsible for him. Therefore, I need all the information I can to diffuse this dispute of yours."

"Well, before I answer that," he said as he took a pen from his breast pocket and began writing on his notepad. "How about you tell me some things about your club?"

"Hmm… okay. As you already know, we are one of the top performing clubs in the Academy, even famous nationally. So you guys should consider our needs as a priority since I personally think we deserve it. We do need some replacement for some old and damaged equipment. We also need more sets of judogi, another set of mats, and some repairs are needed on the hall's tatami floor."

Hitoyoshi dutifully wrote everything on his small notepad while nodding from time to time. "Anything else? Like problems within the club?"

"Nope!" Nekomi shrugged then grinned. "So how about that story?"

Hitoyoshi gave out a long sigh as he put the pen back to his breast pocket. "Don't blame me if it bores you."

"Sure!" Nekomi couldn't' help but be giddy with her success. However, that did not stop her from watching the intense judo match between Akune and Kurokami, both using several advance techniques in succession to counter each other. She cursed inwardly as she saw Akune steadily advanced through several ranks just within the match, somehow learning as he fought the buxom girl seriously. Nekomi was sure; the 'Prince of Judo' was finally worthy of the moniker as he surpassed her years of hard work within a single match. Still, at the very least, she was sure the club would be in really good hands after she left.

She was thankful when Hitoyoshi began, letting her forget the travesty that was happening within the club halls.

"Just like I said, the bastard is right. I did leave Medaka-chan for my selfish reasons."

"Hmm… Why feel guilty? It's not like you're Kurokami-chan's servant, right?"

"You don't understand. We've been together since pre-K. It's hard to leave something like that."

"From what I heard, you've grown apart back in middle-school."

"Heh, the bastard had been talking, huh?"

"He was very talkative after he knew that I dropped a request letter on the suggestion box." Talkative, more like a love struck fool gushing about his beloved. Then again, Hitoyoshi probably knew what she meant.

"What I did back then and what I planned for them was all for her."

"Hooh, you're in love with her!"

Weird, her chest tightened there for a moment.

"Maybe, I don't really know anymore." He shook his head as he closed his eyes and smiled wistfully. "There's an absolute truth in the multi-verse, "Nothing can stay perfect. Nothing is perfect. Ever." He winced.

"Huh? You've lost me."

"Sorry…. It was something I learned in the past few years."

"But multi-verse?"

"Well, you've heard about parallel earth theory, right?"

"Who hasn't? It's all the rage in manga and light novels these days."

"Well, it's something like that. People say that imagination, fiction, religion, and dreams are windows to another world, a caricature to another life that you might have lived. They even say that in every choice of every sentient entity in a particular universe creates another reality, and the inhabitants of the new realities would also create their own, ad infinitum, thus, creating the infinite multi-verse."

"I've never pegged you as a science fiction fan."

He never answered as he continued. "However, regardless of how similar or different these universes are, there are several things that stay constant."

"Let me guess, physics right?"

"Nope, some universes have their own unique physics, entirely different from what we know. It might be that one particular universal constant is different, or that instead of gravity, they have a force which pushes them off the ground. Yep, definitely not physics. Remember, one of the most important things that stay constant is entropy, not physics entropy at that either, but the general concept behind it — the measure of disorder, or constant change, or evolution, or chaos, or degradation. As I said, nothing is perfect. And even if it does seem like it in the present, entropy would take care of it."

"So the passage of time degrades perfection?"

"Not the passage of time; entropy. Circumventing the degradation by the passage of time is easy by several ways like very advanced magic, science, or the combination of both. Even just possessing significant powers can halt the passage of time. Still, entropy goes on, unhindered."

"How?" Nekomi thought it was… quite interesting, if a bit… out there.

"Let's have an example. Let's say there's this immortal with a lot power and beauty, so perfect that both man and woman would fall for his charms as easily as I snap my fingers." He actually snapped his fingers, startling her a bit. "With his power, the passage of time has no effect on him, however, his mind would degrade, the boredom warping him, killing him slowly. Even if he uses time-travel, his mind stays the same, so it's useless. The only way to fix the problem is to lose all of his memories and live an entirely new life, or prevent himself from turning into an immortal in the first place. Mind you, both are still forms of entropy. However, even then, his soul still degrades."

"Huh? Soul degradation?"

"Before I continue, the soul that I'm talking about is entirely different from what you know of. Soul is not even the right name for it. It's just that there's no language that exists in this planet that could even remotely describe it."

"Uhuh…. Go on."

"Very well." He nodded, seemingly satisfied with her succinct answer. "The 'soul' continues to break down even if the mind doesn't. Even if the said immortal does the self mind-wiping several times, the degradation of his soul wouldn't stop, and sooner or later, it would be gone, just like that." He clapped once. "He'll just become a conglomeration of moving body parts until his body breaks down, not unlike a zombie, though a super-powerful one at that. In the end, he turns into nothing. And even if he prevents himself from turning into an immortal by time-travel, who he prevented to be an immortal was actually a different entity from him, so what he did was entirely pointless."

"Oka~y, immortals turn to super-powerful zombies and alternate selves who are not actually alternate selves."

"Confusing, isn't it?" He smiled at her, his eyes squinting in delight. "By the way, 'soul' degradation takes several hundred, to thousands of human years. Some even take millions to billions of human years. It all hinges upon power. It's also the reason some of the most powerful beings in the universe enter deep sleeps, for millions of years. However, in the end, nothing escapes entropy."

"Even Gods?"

"Yes, even these so-called Gods or any supernatural entity you could think of. The loss of believers is part of what I'm talking about."

"So no one escapes death."

Hitoyoshi shook his as he smiled, somewhat delighted at her statement. "Of course you can escape death. For your information, death is only a process of releasing the 'soul' from its container, slowing down the process of entropy, purifying it for its next life."

"Purifying? Then are souls finite?"

"In a way." He shrugged. "As long as a universe spins, new 'souls' are being produced, like a bone marrow producing new blood cells."

"Hooh, so all of this connects to the death of the universe?"

"Precisely! However, the death of the universe I'm talking about is not actually the so-called heat death popular with humans. It's actually quite arrogant of them to think they could describe the workings of the universe with just thermodynamics." He said offhandedly with a trace of irritation. Nekomi couldn't help but be curious at his detached way of talking about humanity and filed it away for later. "But yes! All will disappear at the death of the universe, with the exception of a number of multi-dimensional beings."

Nekomi almost believed him, especially with the way he talked about it. Quite charismatic for an unremarkable looking teenager with the way he almost made her believe his… delusions.

"Okay…. What you've said is quite enlightening, even if it's a bit otaku-ish."

"Sorry…."

She couldn't help but watch how cutely he sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. He being a bit chuunibyo was endearing really, with how he seemed to believe everything he said.

"So you still haven't let go of your eighth grade delusions…."

Nekomi noticed his eyes twitching for a moment. "Yeah… let's go with that."

"Aww, are you angry?"

"Well, not really."

"I'm the one who's supposed to be angry, you know…."

"And why?"

"You just skirted around the explanation of your conflict with Akune with this sci-fi science lecture of yours."

"Really?"

"Mou," Nekomi couldn't help but pout. She'd been had and she didn't even notice until the end. "You cheated."

"Who? Me? Nah... oh?" Hitoyoshi grinned. "Would you look at that… it seems the match is already over."

Just like he said, Akune and Kurokami's judo match was already finished, with the so-called prince on the mat lying on his back while the purple-haired girl stood triumphantly over him.

Then she realized what exactly Hitoyoshi did.

Nekomi narrowed her eyes at the lanky strawberry-blonde beside her while he grinned at her. "Who are you kidding?"

"I don't know… maybe a certain curious and manipulative cat?"

"You knew," she accused, her teeth gritting in anger. "You knew from the beginning."

"Hmm? I honestly don't know what you're talking about, Nabeshima-senpai."

"You even crafted some bullshit about this entropy of yours just to prevent me from getting what I want," she hissed.

He never had the opportunity to reply as the genius duo of Akune and Kurokami walked towards them, with the girl supporting the limping blonde male.

"Senior Nabeshima, I highly advise for you to select Junior Akune as your next captain," the female ubermensch said as she gently let go of the next captain of the Judo Club.

The news didn't come as a surprise to Nekomi. She already knew the president would select him. She didn't even need the help of Student Council in the first place to know that.

However, her plan of goading Hitoyoshi to a match with her was an utter failure. She was planning to dig on his past with Akune, to flame his anger and obvious jealousy, to push him a match to show off his talents to Kurokami in a plan to impress the buxom girl. Of course, since Akune would already be tired of his match against Kurokami, it's up to her to have a match against him and use the opportunity to dig up more about the strawberry-blonde.

Of course, Nekomi knew that Hitoyoshi already saw her, maybe once or twice, but she really doubted his intelligence on knowing about her true intentions. She was wrong; he was smarter than he looked, a lot smarter. She should have known when they first greeted each other that he just feigned not knowing of her similar to what she did.

Then again, she still had one last card to play.

"Oh really," she said as she feigned pleasant surprise. "Well, that's great! I'm really glad you've helped me with this problem of mine. I'm also thankful that you taught Akune-kun a lot of new things about judo, Kurokami-chan. I'm sure he would be an excellent captain."

"Of course, it's our job, after all. I expect nothing but an excellent outcome of this endeavor," Kurokami said with a self-satisfied smile, he then turned to face the tired blonde beside her. "Aren't you glad Junior Akune? You're the next captain."

Akune nodded. "I'm honored to receive the position."

"Hmm… You're tired, Junior Akune. Why don't you sit?"

"Thank you, Medaka-san…. Captain?"

Nekomi absentmindedly waved a hand. "Sure."

Like a marionette that had its strings suddenly cut, Akune dropped to the padded floor face first. Nekomi would have worried about him if not for the obvious sign of him breathing.

"Good. We've now finished the request. Is that all you need for us to do, Senior Nabeshima?"

"Well…" Nekomi gave Hitoyoshi another glance. "I want to end my term as the captain with a match."

"Very well…" Kurokami said as she began stretching.

"Not with you, I know where I am in terms of skill." She hated to admit it, but it was the undeniable truth. Not that it stopped her from cursing the genius purple-haired girl inside her mind. "I doubt I could even pose a challenge against you like Akune. How about I have a match with your general affairs manager? He seems to have some skill, with him having a white belt and all."

"Zenkichi?" Kurokami inquired the seemingly confused strawberry-blonde teenager.

"Sure…." Hitoyoshi slowly nodded and then went and entered the door beside him to change into a judogi, but not before giving Nekomi a raised eyebrow.

Nekomi didn't waste Hitoyoshi's absence as she asked Kurokami some questions.

"So… you're friends with Hitoyoshi-kun since you were little, huh."

"Hm? What this about, Senior Nabeshima?"

"Ohh, just asking, curious and all."

"Yes, we're childhood friends. However you should respect our privacy, Senior Nabeshima." Kurokami never changed her expression, remaining neutral.

The genius girl wasn't as naïve like what the rumors described her to be.

"So you like him?"

"He's an important friend."

"How about Akune-kun? You like him too?"

"He's another important friend."

"Ohh, you're stringing along two guys, huh? Clever girl. Not that I blame you as those two are quite a catch."

Kurokami remained silent, closing her eyes.

"But who do you like more, Kurokami-chan? The childhood friend or the princely admirer?"

Kurokami suddenly opened her eyes and glared at her. "I do not know why you are asking these questions, Senior Nabeshima. But I suggest that you stop it."

"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch, Kurokami-chan. I am just asking." Nekomi grinned. "Now how about I tell you a secret? You see, I really like Hitoyoshi-kun. He looks like the hard-working type. And you now what? I really like hard-working guys."

The satisfaction Nekomi felt when she noticed a minor twitch on one of Kurokami's eyebrow was immense. The genius definitely liked the lanky strawberry-blonde.

"But I'm worried you know… There are rumors about you and Hitoyoshi-kun, more so, you're childhood friends, and so getting him to notice me is really hard. I even heard that he is involved with the chairman's granddaughter, with really naughty implications…. How can I compete?" Nekomi said in mock worry, acting like a normal girl who was asking for love advice.

"I need not repeat myself, Senior Nabeshima. You should stop with these inane inquiries of yours before you get me angry. You won't like me when I'm angry."

"Oh really?" Nekomi couldn't help but grin wider. "Oh well, you win. It's about time Hitoyoshi-kun finished dressing up anyway."

Just as Nekomi said, the door to the male's locker room opened, where one strawberry-blonde came out wearing a judogi with a white belt.

"Well, here I am. How are we going to do this?" Hitoyoshi said as he awkwardly patted his current attire.

"How about a best of three? Anyone who can earn three full-points first wins," Nekomi said.

"Sure."

Kurokami never voiced out anything as Nekomi and Hitoyoshi planned their match.

Nekomi nodded and walked towards the center of the padded mat and gestured for a club member to be their referee. She then noticed that her opponent never followed her. It turned out that Kurokami held on to Hitoyoshi's sleeve, stopping him from going towards their match.

"Zenkichi," the purple-haired girl's eyes were hidden by her hair, her voice low, almost threatening.

"W-what is it, M-medaka-chan?"

"No matter the case, you should know that I won't tell you to lose." Hitoyoshi's childhood friend then raised her head, showing cute and large red eyes on the verge of tears. "So please win."

The effect was sudden and obvious as Hitoyoshi flinched back as though a bullet hit him in the head. It took several seconds for him to recover enough to be able to reply. "Of course! I'll definitely win!" He then nodded mechanically as Kurokami let go of him, walking towards the center of the mat like a robot and stopping a few feet in front of Nekomi.

The assigned referee, a stocky male with short hair, then got between them. "This a three-point match with the basic rules of Judo in effect. That means no punching, kicking, and other strikes, touching the face, attacking joints other than the elbow, head dives, and wearing any hard metallic objects. Understood!"

Nekomi kept grinning as Hitoyoshi nodded in understanding as both bowed to each other. They then made their respective stances.

The impromptu referee raised his hands then swung it down and shouted, "Start!"

Nekomi dashed towards Hitoyoshi, moving to avoid his vision, but before she could even do a kick on the mat to move to the left, intent on going behind him, he made his move. It was sudden, as before she knew it, she was already on the floor, lying on her back. "What?" she couldn't help but say. She didn't even see what he did!

"I-ippon!" The flabbergasted impromptu referee shouted the obvious, one point advantage for Hitoyoshi.

The announcement woke her from her stupor, standing up no worse for wear. "What the… what was that!?"

"Umm, a body drop," Hitoyoshi answered sheepishly.

"I've never seen a body drop done like that before!"

"It was definitely a body drop, Senior Nabeshima. A masterfully done one I say." Kurokami suddenly said on one side outside the mat while nodding. "I never knew you could do something like this, Zenkichi."

"Ah, I got a lot of free time."

"I see…"

Nekomi almost bit her tongue in frustration. She had to see it to believe it. "Hey! The match isn't over yet!"

The match the she had eagerly awaited continued and she did everything she could as though it was an official match. Nothing changed from her first knock down. She didn't see his attack. She didn't even see him move from his stance. In a flash, after she dashed to get to his blind spot, she would be always down in less than a second. Moreover, just like her first knock down, that Kurokami would always say how fucking awesome Hitoyoshi was in Judo, even inviting him to take a ranking exam, as his supposed skill level was greater than the buxom bitch. Hitoyoshi didn't even give Nekomi a chance to cheat!

It was obvious. Hitoyoshi was of greater talent than Kurokami in Judo. That means he's an eleventh dan at the very least. The bastard was acting so humble when he was also another fucking genius. The type of genius she hated the most — the ones that downplay extreme achievements, those that blame luck or some other nonsense shit, making other people's hard work look like some inconsequential waste of time.

Damn it!

Her vision was a blur as she heard the strawberry-blonde bastard asking for an apology and her permission for them to leave, which she only answered with an absentminded, "Sure…"

Then again, she already knew he was some sort of genius, she had just forgotten from all the thinking and giddiness facing him for the first time, and the rage she felt at Kurokami's red belt.

Nekomi felt stupid.

However, she would not cry. She would not show weakness in front of her club members, even in defeat.

She then felt someone walk towards her prone form. "I never knew Hitoyoshi could do something like that. As far as I can remember, he was only a brawler with a bit of Savate. So he finally reached Medaka-san's level, huh," the blonde fop, Kouki Akune, said, whether for himself or for her, she would never know. Not that she cared.

Nekomi remained silent.

"Though maybe it's only in Judo, then again I never knew what he did in his so-called journey," Akune continued.

Nekomi slowly stood up, rejecting Akune's offer of assistance — she didn't need help from these geniuses.

She didn't care what Hitoyoshi did. She didn't care why he did it. She didn't care about anything anymore. She finally had enough with all these brain-damaged geniuses ruining everything good in her life.

"Are you alright, captain?"

Nekomi never replied to Akune. She just walked with purpose towards the female locker room, rage and hatred stirring within.

-000-

Zenkichi shouldn't have defeated Nabeshima, especially not the way he did. To be honest, he was planning on losing. But Medaka's [Proof of One's Worth #2: Strict Girl/Cute Girl Switch] was just too damn effective. Effective enough that he ended up using one of the many techniques he learned from his travels, a technique that he learned from a brief fight with a tall miko woman — she looked more like a glamorous and buxom super model, making the short but intense fight very awkward for him — he met at one point in his travels.

Since his first step within the academy, he only used his martial arts techniques once and it was against Hyuga's bokutou, far from deadly or even threatening. _Shinken Shirahadori_ was a popular technique that the kendo club member, at most, would probably just peg him as some kung-fu nut. However, what he did during his match with Nabeshima, that can't be explained by learning stuff through watching too much old Chinese martial arts flicks.

Oh, he knew…. He knew that the jujutsu that he did, it surpassed all known styles of jujutsu, so much that Medaka was actually impressed. He almost felt giddy once he had shown he had surpassed her in one field… though he doubted it would last long as she probably mastered that particular technique he used and improved it already…. Then again, he never really placed much thought about using the basics of that woman's jujutsu style in front of his childhood friend in the first place, so no use crying over spilt milk.

Now that he thought about it, it was only thanks to the Kurokami Zaibatsu that that woman, and several others, never managed to find him. He could still picture out the very surprised and very miffed look on her gorgeous face when he used her own technique against her, though it was only thanks to that that he managed to escape without using his more esoteric skills. And to think it all started with a little miko girl and some dango.

Anyway, back to Nabeshima. He was sure the beat down — no harm whatsoever inflicted physically — she received damaged her already bruising ego and insulted her pride over her hard work. He knew the signs; he experienced them before. With Medaka Kurokami as their child hood friend, who wouldn't?

He knew the terrible thoughts that plagued her mind; that no matter what you do, all your hard work would be for naught, the simmering hatred to those around you, and most importantly the self-hatred. No, he never hated Medaka, but he did hate himself and his own powerlessness, he hated how he lacked the talents her lovable mother possessed, he hated how he couldn't satisfy expectations, how he wasn't a genius, and how he was just a mediocre, normal human.

How foolish his past self was.

How utterly foolish.

However, he was still normal….

He is normal.

"Senior Nabeshima seemed a bit off, Zenkichi."

"Huh?" The statement from his sexy childhood friend woke him up from his introspection. "Well, it's not that I don't understand her," he answered absentmindedly.

He and Medaka were back in the Student Council room and were just about getting ready to leave. Medaka was arranging the unfinished paperwork, storing them into a pile cabinet behind her ornate table while he was finishing his short report on the Judo club using the resident laptop.

"You understand why she's so interested in you?"

"Oh, so that's what you're talking about…. Forget about what I just said." He pressed a button on the mouse, hearing a loud click and printing the finished work. He then handed the printed report on the Judo Club to Medaka, which she gladly took. "So… she's interested in me? That's quite flattering…. But why? I'm not really the type girls would find interesting."

Medaka read the short report silently, nodded, and then placed it to a folder he gave her before their stint in the Judo Club. "I don't know about others, but I do find you interesting…."

"Really?" Zenkichi perked up.

"You're my childhood friend; it's only natural that I find you interesting."

"Oh…." His shoulders sagged.

He saw Medaka place the folder into a cabinet shelf, closed it, and then locking it, placing the keys between her breasts. Even though he had seen her do that kind of thing many times before, the thought of her using her cleavage as some impromptu pocket still made his loins heat up, his spine tingling. Therefore, he ends up closing his legs like a girl as he thought of spring and evergreen flora to keep himself calm. He then turned off the laptop, closing and leaving it as it is on the long table.

"I don't know what Senior Nabeshima's intention with you was, but I suggest that you be vigilant."

"You're worrying too much, Medaka-chan." Nabeshima may be angry about her bruised ego, but he was sure a violent confrontation was far from what he should expect from the senior. At most, she would just request another match after some training… maybe.

"No I'm not, Zenkichi. I'm stating a fact."

On a second thought, Medaka's warnings did have some merit. Maybe he should be more careful. Then again, what are the chances the cat-like senior would attack him? His childhood friend should be the one worried, she was the epitome of genius and he was normal, so the chances that the miffed senior would attack her were higher.

"Okay…. But maybe you should also listen to your own warning."

"Silly Zenkichi, I'm always vigilant."

Zenkichi stood up while he grabbed his bag, the wheels of the chair making a sound when his action pushed it back. He looked outside through the closed window. The sun was almost gone, the sky slowly darkening. Night was coming.

He was worried about Shiranui. All day, he never saw her, in class and even during their regular lunches. He hoped she was alright….

Who was he kidding? No one could even touch a strand of her hair if she didn't allow it in the first place. However, it was the thought behind it that count… and he couldn't help but think that things were already moving, and moving fast.

"Zenkichi, I'm closing the room."

Medaka was already outside the room, the lights already turned off.

"Ah, wait for me!"

Yes, he really should be worried.

-000-

She could remember one time in her past.

It was a time when she was innocent, a time when there was no hate, no anger, festering within her like maggots eating through her flesh.

It was one the few times her adopted parents were in the house, happy, doing what a family usually does. Her mom was baking something, an apple pie from what she could remember, while her father was lounging outside on his white metal chair with his pipe reading an article in one of his many archeology magazines, his mug of coffee slowly cooling on the table.

Her little self was working on an assignment on the grassy ground, coloring a picture of a cat in a coloring book. After she finished, she tried to get a slice of apple pie, feeling hungry after the hard work she did, but her mother gently admonished her.

She almost cried, however, her mother, smart woman that she was, decided to give her a condition. So she carried two slices of apple pie on single plate, one for her and another for her father.

"Papa, mama made us pie! Wan'cha eats with me?"

She had always been proud that she learned to speak fluently earlier than the other kids did. Too bad, it was short-lived.

"Sure, Neko-chan," her father said as he patted her head while smiling proudly.

"Un!" She raised the plate with her small arms, persevering against the heavy weight with her little arms. Seeing her effort, her father's smile became wider, taking the plate and placing it on the table. "Am I a good girl, papa?"

He laughed. It was loud, but she loved hearing it. "Of course, Neko-chan, you're always a good girl! Right, dear?"

Suddenly she was up in the air, gentle hands carrying her, making her release a surprised but delighted yell, "Mama!"

"Definitely!" her mother answered, rubbing her face to hers. Her innocent self giggled. "You're a very special girl, Nekomi Nabeshima."

"Really!?"

"Yes, the most special of them all!"

Of course, it was all before the series of disappointments that she delivered to the Nabeshima name.

What a bunch of liars.

Not that she hated them, per se; in fact, she loved them dearly. It's just that from the few times that they were home or during the times she received a call or a message, she couldn't help but feel they were expecting something, and the disappointment of that something not happening seeps to the way they talk or the tone in which the message was written.

There was also the fact the even if she didn't show some signs of extraordinary intellect or aptitude, her parents were always eager to place her to genius development institutions. It was quite suspicious.

Even after all these years, the gnawing feeling of them expecting her to do something amazing was still there poisoning her relationship with her adoptive parents to the point that her trust eroded almost into nothingness.

Her theory was further proven when she mentioned in passing that she could see in the dark, as the reveal made her parents delighted to the point of ecstasy. It was even more suspicious when they suddenly went to another expedition after.

She was scared.

She felt as though she was their lab rat, their long time experiment.

Their love manufactured, just a calculated investment.

It made her sick.

She refused to believe it.

However, these thoughts would plague her mind, warping it to make her obsess on success. To prove that without some abnormal nonsense, she was still special, and maybe those innocent days would come back.

She failed.

Repeatedly.

Arts, sciences, sports, she was merely above average, regardless of the amount of time she put into them. Further, she was in a school of geniuses, of overachievers, thus, she would always be surpassed, and just to keep up, she had to double time with work while those around her enjoyed their life.

She hated it.

She was thankful when she found Judo. For the first time, she was the best in a flock of geniuses. She even felt like she was one when she received a scholarship in one of the most prestigious high schools in Japan, Hakoniwa Academy.

Then Kouki Akune came….

And then Medaka Kurokami came….

And then Zenkichi Hitoyoshi came….

Her world, her hopes, her dreams all crumbled to dust reducing her into an angry teenager with a severe complex, whether it was inferiority, superiority, or a combination of both she would never know, not that she cared anymore.

Yes, she knows what's happening to her… but she could not stop it.

Her life had begun tumbling down.

Even if she gets away with what she would do, her old life would never come back… ever.

Damn, she felt pathetic.

She heard a familiar voice from the distance, waking her from her self-loathing induced reverie. It was Hitoyoshi's voice, cheerful and annoyed. She opened her eyes, watching behind the shadows of the many trees in Hakoniwa Academy.

There he was smiling like a fool beside that abnormal bitch of a president. Oh how he hated that smile. So deceiving… it made you underestimate him. But it wouldn't work on her, not anymore. She hugged her bag. Yes, Nekomi made sure this time she wouldn't underestimate him.

Hiding in the shadows provided to her by the trees, she followed the duo to the gates and even up to a small shop that sell plants. After they bought a potted flower, they separated, Hitoyoshi carrying the bought flower with him.

Knowing his route towards home beforehand, she decided to intercept him in one of the streets surrounding the huge campus of Hakoniwa she was sure no witnesses would stumble upon what she would do. She ran towards the said street, never noticing how she never got tired, the cold but overwhelming hate clouding her mind. As she arrived, she hid behind a concrete electric pole where she knows the darkness of the night would completely cover her. The tall wall of the academy was looming like a giant. The streetlight several feet away turned on, providing meager visibility, the bulb flickering. The trees on the other side of the asphalt road made shadows, the leaves dancing with the howling wind. It was perfect.

Somehow, ever since she was a child, she always liked the dark. She was also a hit at playing hide and seek. Of course, she knew it was unnatural but at the same it was not amazing nor even that abnormal. It's not like there's a sport where seeing within the darkness or hiding was an advantage. No, she didn't want to be some spy or some iteration of it. They were just glorified sluts anyway. Moreover, a mercenary was so not her.

Anxiously, she waited, noticing the sky was already dark and the crescent moon looming above becoming the lone audience to her up and coming performance. She persevered under the cold night with her school uniform, embracing herself as she hugged her bag.

Her wait didn't take long as she began to hear footfalls getting louder coming towards her. She then counted down from ten in her mind, unsynchronized with the erratic beating of her heart. She took out a taser — it was something she always carried for protection — from the bag she was carrying. At the count of zero, she saw him pass her, his back defenseless. Without wasting a second, she jumped him, taser first towards his neck for great effect.

He only managed to give out an unintelligible gurgle as he began to fall down, but not before she clung with her whole body to one of his arms. With a sickening crack, she used the force she gathered from her jump and her weight to slam his face on the asphalt face first. However, she was not done. The sound of a bone breaking echoed within the quiet night. Nekomi stood up and kicked the prone teenager in the sternum, earning her a satisfying grunt of pain.

"You won't be using any of your limbs for months after I'm done with you." She could feel the smile creeping on her face. The hairs on her body tingled as they stood. She then let out an uncharacteristic hiss as she continued with her grisly revenge.

However, before she could even begin breaking another limb, she felt her body rising in the air and then pain, her back arching. It turned out she was slammed on the concrete road back first without her knowing it. She could see Hitoyoshi already standing, an expression of surprise on his bruised face, slowly but clearly healing faster then she liked. Even the awkwardly broken arm was already healing; wriggling like it was some alien tentacle.

Then she realized that whoever she was fighting was an entirely different genius, an entirely different Abnormal. Heck, she was even convinced that whatever she was fighting was some sort of alien monster.

Nevertheless, Nekomi won't give up!

She saw Hitoyoshi won't be attacking her sooner from the surprise his face was showing, so she did a back-roll and stood up. She waved her taser threateningly at him.

"So not even fifty-thousand volts and a broken arm can stop you, huh?"

She could see him gritting in pain as he held this broken arm writhing under the moonlight.

"Not replying, huh. Not that I don't understand, that arm's probably a bitch right now, kuku."

She ran towards him, taser first, while her other hand was in her bag. She could see him getting ready to counter as he let go of his still jerking hand and made a stance. Before she could enter his range, she changed her direction, running to the wall. She then jumped and used the wall to boost herself and leap over him. The moment he looked up, she pulled out a pepper spray and used it, spraying his eyes to oblivion.

The effect was instant as he grunted in pain, frantically rubbing his eyes to get rid of the inflammatory agent. After she landed, she used the chance to leap to his head and used all her weight to slam his face again towards the road, she then tased him for good measure.

However, before she could begin breaking his limbs again, he lifted himself off the ground and stood up with her still on his back. She clung to his neck, choking him for all his worth. But it seemed to have no effect as he ran.

To her amazement, glass-like tiles suddenly appeared in thin air, and Hitoyoshi stepped on one then another as though they were transparent steps. Seeing what he was planning something, Nekomi let go, kicked herself off his back, and did back flips in the air. She then twisted her own center of gravity to land a kick on his face. Finally, she landed on her toes and rolled using one side of her shoulders to soften the landing.

She saw Hitoyoshi land badly, one of his legs morbidly broken. She never winced at the ugly sight, the hate and anger making her cold and calculating.

She knew he was going to stand up again, so she rushed towards him. She knew it was useless of course, from what she could guess of their encounter so far, that regardless of what damage she would inflict on him, he would always recover.

Then again, she only took this as an opportunity to punish him repeatedly until he cries, until he screams, until he would experience all the pain she felt all those years, until he understands….

However, her rush stopped, as he suddenly pushed himself off the ground with one hand to several feet in the air and sat at another transparent glass tile. He then opened his eyes, recovering very fast from the pepper spray to his eyes.

"You know, Nabeshima-senpai, we could go all night doing this and we will never accomplish anything except you tiring yourself."

"I don't care! You and this abnormal bullshit of yours, I'll keep repeating this until you fucking cry for your mother!"

Nekomi took out a can of hairspray and a lighter and doused the bastard up in his perch with fire, the flames lighting up the dark street, while laughing hysterically. She never wanted the encounter to escalate up to such degree… but his enemy was far from just another Abnormal, so extreme means were necessary to earn her a victory.

Right?

"I don't like seeing you like this, Nabeshima-senpai," she heard Hitoyoshi whisper behind her, so close that she could feel his breath on one of her ears. She screamed and redirected the fire towards the direction of his voice.

"This isn't you." she heard again, his voice gentle. She continued to scream, throwing the useless lighter and hairspray and pulling a baton in her bag and swung it towards the person behind her. She hit no one.

"I understand your pain, Nekomi Nabeshima," the voice came from above making her look up. He was back from his earlier perch, not worse for wear... Did he even leave his position? Nekomi was horrified by the implications.

"Fuck you and your bullshit superpowers!" Her voice was hoarse and her throat was in pain from all the screaming as she threw the baton at him in frustration. Hitoyoshi let it hit him. "You don't understand the pain of always not being good enough! You don't understand the pain of being a normal surrounded by a bunch of geniuses! You don't fucking understand!"

"I do," he said so simply, so genuinely that it made her hate him more.

"Damn you and your lies!"

He leaped off from his perch, slowly falling as though gravity does not have a hold on him and then landed gently on the pavement, making no sound whatsoever. He began walking towards her. "You know it's not a lie, Nekomi Nabeshima."

She could feel her hands shaking, her teeth clattering. "Y-you! S-stay away from me!" Nekomi took a step back.

Hitoyoshi continued his walk towards her.

"N-no… s-stay away." In panic, she pulled out switchblade, and waved it against him. "S-stay away! Please! I beg of you!"

Regardless of her pleas, he continued.

"Stay away!" Nekomi slashed his cheeks. He stopped. "S-see? I won't hesitate in using t-this!"

He only shook his head and embraced her. "That's enough, Nabeshima-senpai."

"No! Stay away from me!" She panicked, waving both of her hands hysterically. She stabbed him. "I don't need you!"

And stabbed.

"Your kind always ruin everything for me!"

And stabbed.

"Your talents always waste my efforts."

And stabbed.

"You belittle my hard work."

And stabbed.

"And you make me hate myself!"

And stabbed.

"More!"

And stabbed.

"And more!"

And stabbed.

"The hate grows!"

And stabbed.

"I don't have anyone!"

And stabbed.

"Always alone!"

And stabbed.

"I hate being normal!"

And she let go, the sound of metal hitting asphalt echoing throughout the empty street.

Nekomi cried.

"Nabeshima-senpai, I am normal."

She buried her head on his bloody chest, repeatedly opening her mouth, to say she was sorry, but no words would come out, no sound, only pain.

"Regardless of how amazing, how extraordinary, how abnormal, how supernatural, and how bizarre, for me, it's all normal."

She returned the embrace, feeling the blood pooling on his chest, crying all her frustrations on him.

"So hate me, for I am the epitome of what you despise the most. Hate me, and only me."

She moved her head up and down, smearing her face with his red blood.

"I promise," she mouthed silently. "I'll hate you, and only you." She took a single breath, her face still buried on his chest. "Forever."

Then the world turned pitch black.

-000-

"Oh man, how do I explain this to mom?" Zenkichi murmured standing outside the gates to his home, a regular two-story western residential house with an open garage, while carrying an unconscious teenage girl and her bag full of goodies with his uniform in tatters. "Ohh, she'll definitely get angry…."

"Unya…."

"Well, at least someone's not worried." He smiled, hefting the sleeping Nabeshima to a more comfortable position.

"Okay, here goes nothing." He opened the gates, the metal hinges squeaking loudly in the night. He couldn't help but wince.

The walk to the door was short, too short to his liking. He then opened the door, taking his shoes off at the entrance and replacing it with his indoor slippers. He then heard small footsteps.

"Zenkichi-kun! Why are you home only— Oh my!" Sliding sideways in front of him was his mother, Hitomi Hitoyoshi, who looked more like his little sister who's still in grade school. She had an expression of shock, the ladle she was carrying falling to the wooden floor, as she covered her mouth with both of her hands. The apron she was wearing reminded him of lunch. She then cried, wailing like a child. "Waaa! My son sexually assaulted a girl! I'm a failure as a mother! Oh woe is me!"

"I didn't do anything!"

Her crying suddenly stopped. "You didn't?" Then the waterworks came again. "Waa! My son kidnapped a girl and was planning to sexually assault her! In his own house no less! Oh the tribulations of motherhood!"

"Mom! I'm not planning anything bad either!"

Her tears stopped as though they weren't there in the first place. "You aren't? Well, that's boring."

Zenkichi sighed. "You're watching too much afternoon dramas, mom." He gently placed Nabeshima on the wooden floor. He removed her shoes and then carried her again in a piggyback.

"You don't understand, Zenkichi-kun. It's part of being a mother to watch afternoon dramas."

"Whatever…. Hey, is it okay to put her on the guest room?" He gestured his head to the unconscious girl on his back.

"Don't doubt the abilities of your own mother, Zenkichi-kun." As expected of his mother, the guest room was always ready.

"Yeah, yeah." Zenkichi then began walking towards the stairs, his mother following a few steps behind him.

"What happened?" she asked like a curious child she appeared to be.

"Well, will you believe me if I tell you that she just suddenly fell unconscious while I was walking home?"

She only looked at him as though he just asked her the most idiotic question in the universe.

"Right…. Well, she had a nervous breakdown from the accumulated stress she had through the years. You could say she's similar to me back then." He hated it, but he gave his mother a half-truth.

His mother nodded in understanding. They climbed the stairs then turned to the left towards an unoccupied room. He opened the door.

"Well, good for her it's you who found her. But what about her parents?"

"I really don't know. We'll ask her after she wakes up."

"Okay!"

He then placed the sleeping Nabeshima on the bed, tucking her in.

"By the way," his mom said in her 'mom voice', "your uniform is in tatters, give it to me."

"Mom, after I get changed!"

"Oh, you're shy to your own other, huh. How cute!" In a flash, she disappeared, appearing behind him with several needles and thread suddenly on her hands and mouth respectively while sitting on one side of the bed. "There, that takes care of that!" She then crossed her hands, the sewing implements disappearing to places he refused to know.

Zenkichi looked down at his otherwise tattered uniform, now fixed with a factory-finish shine. It was his mother's [Cut and Sew Discipline] skill, a remnant of her past occupation as a world-class Psychosomatic Surgeon.

"Mom!"

"Don't mom me, Zenkichi-kun."

Before they could even start with another of their usual arguments, the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" Hitomi perked up as she jumped off from the bed and ran to answer the door.

He shook his head at how childish his mother was sometimes. After glancing one last time at the unconscious girl, he went to see who it was that rang the doorbell.

The visitor turned out to be his best friend, who was eating some of the dinner — a pile of large burger patties with some gravy on the side, colloquially named as hamubaga, and a rice-cooker full of rice.

"Oy, Shiranui! That's my dinner you're eating!"

The diminutive girl stopped herself from dumping food on her mouth and grinned at him. "But your mother offered, who am I deny her?"

"Mom!"

"Oh, shush, Zenkichi-kun. It's not like she hasn't eaten dinner here before," her mother shouted from the kitchen. He could smell the miso soup that she was cooking.

"Fine!" Zenkichi took a seat in front of Shiranui. "Hey, can you hand me one?"

"Sure!" Shiranui deftly placed a patty on his plate, slathering it with gravy, and then handed him a bowl full of rice; all the while, she kept eating her share.

He took a bite of the meaty food. Like always, it was very tasty. "Where were you all day?"

Shiranui gestured for a glass of water, which he gave her. She then drank the glass, releasing a pleased sigh. "Just had some talk with grandpa."

"About what?"

"You know… this and that."

"Okay… so that's why Anshin'in is here." He turned to stare at a girl wearing the female uniform of Hakobune Middle School, the school he attended before his journey.

The pretty girl took a bit of the meat patty with her chopsticks and deftly placed it in her mouth like an old Japanese noble of the past. She chewed silently and placed her chopsticks beside her plate. "Greetings, beloved," she said after she finished.

He raised an eyebrow; not ignoring Shiranui's increased pace in eating.

"I've told you many times, Anshin'in, call me by my name. And please don't rile up Shiranui. I don't want a fight happening in my house."

The girl named Najimi Ajimu, nick-named Anshin'in, smiled. "As you say, Zenkichi-kun."

"Before we begin, Anshin'in, please."

The girl in the sailor uniform nodded and snapped her fingers. Grey engulfed the dining room, the clock stopping to a halt at 8:47. What she did was one of her many skills that manipulate time, simply named as [Grey World]. It creates a separate bubble of reality where time is immaterial, which she and those that she wanted to include can enter.

Shiranui stopped eating; sitting on her seat dutifully like the child she appeared to be.

"So… are there any happenings that I should know about?"

The girls opened their mouths at the same time, but then stopped as they noticed each other. Both glared, and for a moment, he was sure they were about to enter a catfight of cosmic proportions, however, as though following an unknown protocol, Shiranui deferred to the older being.

"Well, at least you know you're still a babe compared to me."

"I'm a respectable Japanese citizen; it's only natural for me to give way to senior citizens."

"Hmph, your taunts are ineffective, little eternal hunger."

"Oh really, you vain old hag. I often wonder what's so divine about you."

"Okay, okay, sheesh. Stop with the name-calling already," Zenkichi said, his hands gesturing in a placating manner.

The girls uttered their agreements at the same time, and again, glared at each other. Before they could argue again, Zenkichi decided on who would report first. "Let's go with Anshin'in first, okay?"

The taller girl let out a fist pump while his best friend nodded; though the narrowing of the blue-haired girl's eyes almost made him change his mind.

"Well," Anshin'in began. "The zaibatsu is pushing their pet project to go ahead in schedule."

"Really?"

"The old hag is right, Zenkichi." Shiranui said, ignoring the glares from the being besides her. "Grandpa's even willing to sacrifice the Thirteen Party."

"Are you sure? They know I'm attending the academy, right?" Zenkichi narrowed his eyes, his head hurting from the many problems that would come knocking on his otherwise normal life.

"The old coot's even counting on it and I'm sure the little princess' father is letting all this happen with that usual smug smile on his face, probably even enjoying it with his wives," Shiranui said, picking away several pieces of meat stuck between her shark-like teeth.

"Hakama had always been an excitable observer with an almost overwhelming lust to see a show of overwhelming power," Anshin'in said, smiling in reverie, "That's why I chose him to become the chairman of Hakoniwa."

"You're showing your age, old hag."

"Shut up, upstart." Anshin'in took a calming breath and smiled. "Anyway, as for your other mistresses, they're doing fine with their work within their respective fields and would soon have the opportunity to join you with your… normal endeavors."

Zenkichi nodded. Good news, just as he needed. "What about Kamome?"

"Kamome-san is doing excellently with learning the ways of being the representative of the Tsurubami branch."

Zenkichi gave out a sigh of relief. At least life was looking up for them.

"Then what about outside the zaibatsu?"

"Well, it seems that the weakened Great Red is starting to stir things up in the so-called Three Great Factions. It's also confirmed that the reincarnation of the Great Sage is in North America, specifically within the United States. Speaking of America, most of the cults there are lying low. It seems the seal really did work wonders." The girl wearing two large yellow ribbons nodded to herself, satisfied. "For now, the weak gods of this planet are still biding their time."

"You shouldn't underestimate them, Anshin'in, remember that fresh guy?" Zenkichi said, reminding her of that one particular man that she couldn't beat.

The smile she had vanished, wincing.

"Yes they are weak… but so are we," he added.

Anshin'in was about to say something, but he gestured for her to stop.

"I know, I know. However, you didn't, not even once in the many years you've been here. And even then, I won't let you. We don't want to turn this planet into a giant space rock, do we?"

"I don't really care," Shiranui said, rocking back and forth on her chair.

"Neither do I," Anshin'in added as she cutely winked at him. "I've already found my reality."

"Well, I do." Zenkichi sighed. "Just bear with me, okay?"

Both girls gave out their respective lazy agreements. At the very least, even if shown otherwise, he knows they would not do anything drastic, for now. To keep himself from thinking of the horrific possibilities, he decided to continue their pre-dinner discussion.

"How about you, Shiranui? What happened today?"

"Just grandpa goading me for more information about you, it would have been a waste of time if not for the food he offered. At least the old coot knows the proper protocols." The diminutive girl let out a cute burp. "Though, he did ask me to kill one of the Thirteen Party."

Zenkichi raised an eyebrow.

"What's with that look Zenkichi?"

"What look?"

"That, "Did you eat anybody?" look."

"Well…?" He avoided her accusing cute stare.

"I did nothing of the sort! Do I look like a mercenary to you? I'm a Shiranui, not a Kotobuki."

"Well, the Shiranui's did do some mercenary work back in the days." Anshin'in said tapping her lips with one finger.

"Shut up, old hag."

"Enough of that please." Zenkichi kneaded both sides of his temple with his thumbs. "Anything more to say, Shiranui?"

"Nothing important really. After I rejected his request, he nodded, probably already expected my refusal. We then made small talk and spent all day doing normal family things." Shiranui shrugged.

"Wow, a real life death flag." He said, amazed.

"Definitely a death flag," Anshin'in agreed.

"Meh, I already knew that and I think he also knew. He probably does not care. Then again, he's already old." Shiranui scoffed showing no remorse whatsoever over one of her relatives.

Zenkichi then narrowed his eyes as he realized a probable future. "The chairman might invite him in the future. We should be wary."

The girls nodded at the same time.

"Oh, before we finish, I want to ask you something, Zenkichi-kun?" Anshin'in said.

"Huh?"

"Why did you bring that girl here?" The ribbon girl asked referring to the sleeping girl in the guest room.

"Well, she lost consciousness, and as an upstanding Japanese citizen—" But before he could finish, the pretty girl interrupted him.

"You do know what she is, right?"

"A girl frustrated with her life?"

"While I do accept your obsession of being normal, acting oblivious is not something I can condone." Anshin'in said, her long hair rising threateningly.

"Sorry." Zenkichi clicked his tongue. "Yes, I do."

"Then, why?" the girl in a middle school uniform asked, her hair back to normal.

"Wow, old age does get to you, huh?" His best friend suddenly answered, rolling her eyes.

"What!?" Anshin'in glared at Shiranui.

"It's obvious…" The blue-haired girl then mouthed a word at her silently.

Anshin'in's eyes widened in delight and then turned to smile at Zenkichi. "Oh? You should have said so, Zenkichi-kun." The brown-haired girl then nodded in understanding. "How devious!"

"He doesn't want to act like a bad guy…." Shiranui shook her head. "But in the end, he is true to his nature."

"I leave it to you, girls." He ignored their jape.

"Sure, Zenkichi-kun."

"Aye aye, sir!"

The girls gave their respective affirmations at the same time.

"Anshin'in."

At his prompt, the ribbon-wearing girl snapped her fingers. The color of the dining room then returned, the hands of the clock on the wall moving clockwise. And then she was gone.

"Here comes the miso soup!"

His mother exited the kitchen carrying a pot full of tasty miso soup. The dinner continued with her joining them.

However, he couldn't enjoy his mother's home cooked meal, thoughts of Nabeshima's fate swirling in his chaotic mind. However, he would not ask for forgiveness.

He does not deserve it.

-000-

Nekomi began to hear voices. She opened his eyes.

"Oh, she's awake! What good timing!"

"As expected, shall we start?"

Her blurry vision began to clear, the two moving blobs turning into a pair of girls. One, the small blue-haired girl, she knew, but the other, a very pretty girl of brown hair tied with yellow ribbons, she didn't.

She felt her throat sting, her head hurting like a bitch. "Where am I?" she asked with her feeble voice.

"You're in Zenkichi-kun's house, Nabeshima-san." The girl with the ribbon said, floating beside her bed. For her to be sleeping under the same roof as him…. It was not bad at all, even with the two threats looming over her. Wait, floating?

"Are you another one of those Abnormals?" Nekomi asked. Just her luck, one of the first people she meets as she wakes up was another one of those bizarrely gifted.

"Nope! For now, you could classify me as a Not Equal."

"Quit with the nonsense, old hag. Even though I don't need it, I still sleep," the Shiranui girl suddenly interceded. "So, Nabeshima-senpai, do you remember what you did?" The blue-haired girl grinned at her, scaring her with her sharp teeth.

Yes, she remembered. Even if she tried, she could not forget the things she did to a certain strawberry-blonde, regardless of his seeming immortality.

"Is Hitoyoshi-kun all right?" Nekomi asked.

"Meh, he'll live." Shiranui shrugged nonchalantly. Obviously, the seemingly little girl knew the horrible things she did. The blue-haired girl then glared, baring her shark-like teeth at her. "But you on the other hand, it really depends."

The other girl then tapped Shiranui's shoulder, earning the small girl's glare, and then gestured something to her. The blue-haired girl nodded and backed-down.

"What my associate wants to say is…." The brown-haired girl smiled. "You've done a very grave mistake of attacking Zenkichi-kun. Something like that doesn't sit well with us."

"You really expect us to let you have a happy ending after what you did? To let you continue with your life with no consequence whatsoever? Hah! That's rich! This isn't a story on a light novel, Nabeshima-senpai." The little blue-haired girl said. Nekomi could not help but notice how the child-like girl's own words were somehow affecting herself, with the way she sometimes glared at her own reflection on a large mirror inside the room.

"Don't get carried away, Shiranui-san," the floating girl said as though she was chastising a child.

The child-like first-year tsked. "I know. I don't need you to remind me."

"Anyway, like my associate said, we won't let you be unscathed."

Nekomi narrowed her eyes, her mind preparing plans if she needed to escape. "So you're going to kill me?"

"Nope!" The floating brown-haired girl said cheerfully. "Say, have you ever wondered whether you're special?"

Nekomi could feel one of her eyebrows rise. "Everybody does, duh."

"Cheeky, I like that! Well, what if I told you that you're much more than you appear? That this isn't our first meeting?"

"Are you crazy? What the hell is going on here? Where's Hitoyoshi-kun?" Nekomi tried to move her body with all her strength, but she couldn't. It was as though her mind was cut off from the rest of her body. She was paralyzed and it frightened her to the core. "What the fuck did you do to me!?"

"Oh, what awful language! Don't worry this won't take long!" The floating girl raised her hands in the air. "You should be glad; you will cease to be merely average starting today!"

Suddenly, small hands grabbed her head, forcefully turning her head to face Shiranui, whose eyes were now a pair of dark voids swirling with alien colors, and her smile impossibly reaching up to her ears.

The little monster opened her mouth.

Nekomi screamed.

-000-

Zenkichi yawned.

The moment he entered the Student Council Room, another stack of papers stumbled upon him, piling about a feet high on his place in the long table, taunting him with their papery goodness….

"I'm here," he said.

"Welcome," replied the other occupant of the room.

He let out a groan as he sat on his usual chair. He then flexed his arms and rolled his shoulders. He spied Medaka on her table, his childhood friend still going double time on her paperwork. He was a little bit ashamed that he was not doing his due work so he started reading the large stack of papers in front of him.

Most of them were requests from different clubs asking for a raise in their funds, giving reasons why and what they would use it for when received, while some were asking for approval for their respective projects, inside and outside the campus. He had a lot of work, but he welcomed it, anything to keep his mind away from a certain senior.

He was thankful that the girls did their thing in full silence. If not, he was sure, his mom would have found out about it. At the very least, he would spare his beloved mother from everything for as long as he could.

Shaking his head, he separated the stack of papers from those that are too ridiculous to approve of and those that agreed with the Academy's rules. He also separated some papers that were supposed to be sent to other committees and those that needed their approval.

Only the sound of paper scratching and Medaka writing reverberated inside the room, a silent atmosphere further supported by the pleasant smell of the flowers saturating the air blowing from the outside through the open window. Zenkichi welcomed the sense of work and relaxation mingling in a beauteous dance.

Suddenly, a knock came, breaking the recent routine of the Student Council. Zenkichi stood up and opened the door.

It was Nekomi Nabeshima.

"Ah, Hitoyoshi-kun, I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I need to tell you guys something," she said, somewhat sheepish, both of her hands behind her back. He could not help but notice the gauze eye-patch covering her right eye.

Zenkichi felt a twinge of guilt, but he ignored it as he smiled and let the green-haired senior in. "Sure."

He already knew of her new… look and the reason behind it. He was even the one who asked Shiranui to at least give Nabeshima something to cover her new appendage. He was actually surprised she never said anything about it, and even acted like nothing happened by morning — the other girls were already gone by then. The breakfast they shared with his mother sure was awkward for him.

Of course, her mother asked the green-haired girl some questions, which the third-year girl answered politely with a smile on her face. When his mom asked Nabeshima about whether her parents would be angry with her at sleeping over at another student's house, the newly eye-patched girl shook her head and said the she currently lives alone as her parents were working overseas. That's when his mother invited her to always eat at their house, ignoring his weak complaints. He was somewhat glad and a tad disappointed when she declined saying her house was on the other side of the residential district.

Anyway, Nabeshima gladly took in Hitomi's hospitality, and went to school together with Zenkichi. It was hard to ignore the murmurs of the other students who saw them together.

Back to the present, he cordially invited the senior to sit on one of the many vacant chairs, which she politely declined. She then walked towards his still working childhood friend.

"Greetings, Senior Nabeshima," Medaka said, still concentrated on her work.

"Hello, Kurokami-chan," Nabeshima greeted back.

Zenkichi did the smart thing and remaining silent.

"Why are you here? As you can see, we are quite busy."

What the senior did almost made him gasp in shock. She bowed. "I'm here to apologize for what I did yesterday."

Medaka stopped writing and flashed Nabeshima with her million-watt smile. "Apology accepted. I'm glad yesterday's little misunderstanding is resolved." She then nodded and stood up and returned the bow. "I too apologize for any trespasses that we unknowingly did yesterday, right Zenkichi?"

Zenkichi dumbly nodded. However, Nabeshima was not yet finished as she said something that left him slack-jawed.

"By the way," she said nonchalantly as she glanced at him and gave him a very catlike smile, "I'm not just good with Judo, I'm also very confident with my hand-writing."

-000-

Notes:

It has come to my attention how some people didn't like how this story is darker than Normal (heh, puns). For that, I apologize. But need I remind you, it's still the first chapter. At the very least, I could promise some light-hearted moments for the next couple of chapters. Also, some might think the story lost its Nisio feel, and again I'm sorry, but I want to develop my own writing style. I don't want to shackle myself on just writing scenes what I feel Nisio would write, no offense to the great author. However, I'll respect your decision if some of you don't want to read this story anymore.

On opinions with the characterizations, it may not be obvious to some, but this is an AU, not a For Want of Nail. Medaka didn't exposition her whole character in the first chapter, I don't want her to be that one dimensional. There's still more about her that are still needed to be revealed. Same with Zenkichi, there's a reason why he's more shounen-protagonist-like in this story, same with Shiranui. If you're interested in finding out more about them, I welcome you to read on.

Now for this chapter, since this is an AU, I decided to tweak Nabeshima into a character more involved to the overall plot of his story. I hope that you guys liked the new her and the early introduction of Anshin'in and Hitomi, if not, then oh well, I can't please everyone.

To those that are curious, you can check Wikipedia for their article for Ranks in Judo, specifically Kanō's original kyū-dan grading system, where I based my information about Judo rankings in this chapter.

Well, I think I've written what I've wanted to write. Again, thank you WolfensteinVII for being the beta for this chapter. Also, thank you readers for the reviews, your opinions are greatly appreciated regardless of their nature.

Thank you for reading and good day.


	4. Arc 1: Interlude 2

21st Century Schizoid Man

Written By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction. I do not own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. To those that have read Normal, this is a rewrite under a different title with the same story structure but different character takes, scenes, and general plot. Also, this story will be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Interlude 2: Kouki Judo

Kouki Akune likes Judo. He would even say that he loves it. Therefore, when Nekomi Nabeshima chose him as her successor, he felt elated, happy to receive such an honor from a person he greatly respected. It was even better when he had the opportunity to test his skills against the girl that he loved, Medaka Kurokami.

Speaking of his erstwhile captain, he really was worried about her that day when she invited the Student Council into the club hall to help her with the captain successor selection. Even though he didn't show it, he knew she was planning something. He only went along because her only obvious interest was Hitoyoshi, especially from the way she barraged him for any details about him.

Oh, he knew about her… difficulties. Nabeshima herself told him after their first meeting. He knew she hated geniuses, that she hated people like him and Medaka. However, his captain didn't let her personal grievances get to her when she was teaching him about Judo. She never compromised and she never sabotaged his training. Nabeshima was a professional in her endeavors, and Kouki respected her for it.

So when he saw that his captain lost badly in a match with Hitoyoshi, seen her shocked expression and her empty eyes staring at nothing while she was prone on the mat after the Student Council left, he knew something was wrong. He was glad when the next day she was back to her usual attitude. However, he couldn't help but notice the gauze eye-patch on her right eye.

"Nabeshima-senpai?" he asked, when he met her during lunch the day after. Nabeshima was sitting under a shade of a tree, nibbling on a sandwich.

"Oh, Akune-kun, you want some?" she said, offering a sandwich from the pile in a small bento box on her lap. "Hitoyoshi's mother really knows how to make a mean lunch."

"Hitoyoshi's mother?" he blurted out in surprise. Kouki shook his head and polity declined her offer. "I already finished my lunch."

Nabeshima shrugged. "Oh well, more for me." She then continued eating. "So… what's up?"

"What happened to your eye?" he asked without hesitation. Subtlety wasn't one of his strong points and Nabeshima knew it.

"Oh this?" she touched the white gauze covering her one eye, wincing a bit. "I won't lie; I know you know something was wrong with me yesterday. You could say this is the punishment for what I did."

Kouki couldn't help but be angry. "Punishment? Blinding one of your eyes is punishment!? Who did this to you!?" He growled. "It's the worm, isn't it? When I get my hands on him…."

"Oh don't be so overdramatic, Akune-kun. This eye isn't blind. Just some minor injury; it will heal in the next couple of months or so. "

"Then what happened?"

Nabeshima sighed. "I don't really want to talk about it. Let's just say; my emotions got over me and I ended up having a fight with him. You know… the usual. I've just bitten more than I can chew."

Kouki nodded in understanding. She did have a habit of attacking her enemies when they least expected it ever since he knew her. Even their first meeting was because the green-haired girl ambushed him after he attacked one of the Judo Club members back before he even joined during his first year in Hakoniwa. Nabeshima sure did beat him black and blue. Merciless for a girl, with the way she broke one of his arms. The encounter ended up with him staying in the hospital for a month. Nevertheless, he was glad for that confrontation as it helped him discover his love for Judo and saved him from his life as a simple destroyer.

Kouki Akune only had but extreme respect for Nekomi Nabeshima.

Then a thought came to him and he asked, "You've met his mom?"

The eye-patched girl took another sandwich in the box and began nibbling on it. "Well… after I got my ass handed to me by Hitoyoshi-kun, I lost consciousness. Not knowing where I live, he decided to bring me to his house."

"Huh… well, I could understand why he did it. So you ended up sleeping in his house?"

"Oh, such naughty thoughts, Akune-kun!" she said as her one visible eye widened, her cheeks glowing with a hint of red.

"W-wait, I didn't imply anything like that!"

She then laughed, her expression returning to her usual Cheshire smile. "Kuku, I'm just messing with you."

Kouki sighed at his senior's actions.

"I only slept in a guest room... I was really surprised when I woke up. You see, his mother actually looked very young for her age," Nabeshima added.

"Huh? How are you surprised by that?"

Her smile widened. "Oh, you'll know. I'm sure you'll meet her soon. With how attentive she is of her son, I bet Hitoyoshi-kun's a mama's boy."

Kouki could not help but grin. He could definitely use the information next time they meet.

"So… any other injuries besides the eye?"

"Nope! He was surprisingly gentle with the way he beat me, even after the things I did."

Kouki could only imagine what she did to Hitoyoshi from how angry the green-haired girl was.

"So you're alright now. You're not angry with Hitoyoshi, anymore?"

"Oh, of course I'm angry with him." Nabeshima smiled wistfully, her eye narrowing. "I despise him."

That last bit from her freaked Kouki out, but shook it off as her messing with him again. Seeing as lunch was almost over, he excused himself so Nabeshima could finish her food.

He was surprised when later he had heard that she joined the Student Council as a secretary.

Then again, he approved of her decision, as it was a very good opportunity for the girl he respects the most and the girl he loved to get close to each other. He hoped a good friendship would blossom between them, ignoring a particular worm.

Thinking about some worm… he sighed. He still could not believe he lost to the strawberry-blonde in the race to Medaka's heart. He knew he was better looking and a better dresser, and more importantly, he could actually keep up with her.

Hitoyoshi was too weak back then, just some upstart chump that managed to gather some underlings. Hell, he was so much of a sidekick material that he only went as far as the preliminaries during the Daibanchou tournament back in middle school, beaten by a single punch from some punk named Hyoudou, the guy that ended up as the champion. In comparison to Kouki who reached the quarterfinals, the gap was large. Then again, it was only a tournament for the title of strongest banchou in the country, far from being the most prestigious of events to brag about. Kouki was still embarrassed about that chapter of his life.

Anyway, with the goal of getting Medaka Kurokami's heart, he even managed to take Hitoyoshi's place beside her when he suddenly disappeared for the rest of middle school.

However, in the end it was all for naught…. In the end, he wasn't Zenkichi Hitoyoshi.

When he thought about it, maybe he really didn't have a chance with Medaka in the first place.

That's why he couldn't help but get irritated at Hitoyoshi for being so oblivious towards Medaka's feelings. Then again, worrying about other people's love lives was not his job. So he gritted his teeth and slammed one of the first year members of the Judo Club to the mat. He might as well concentrate on his duties as being the captain of the Judo Club.

"Did you get the one arm should throw yet, Ringo-san? Or must I repeat it again?" he said to the prone first year girl with the pigtails.

"I-I think so, c-captain," she meekly said.

Kouki gave her a smile as she helped her up.

A couple of days had already passed since his conversation with his erstwhile green-haired captain, already getting the hang of being the captain of one of the most prestigious clubs of Hakoniwa. He was also hearing good things about Nabeshima's work in the Council, something he already expected. Kouki couldn't help but let out a smile at the thought of her solving requests. At least her issues would be minimized with her exposure to Medaka.

Sure, being a captain was hard with some of the more rowdy members of the club, like the current vice-captain. Being third years and older than him, they sometimes got it to their heads that it's alright to ignore his orders, but a little bit of hard persuasion could do wonders. However, the satisfying feeling he experiences when teaching the beginners about the sport more than makes up for it.

He was quite busy teaching a new member one of Judo's basic throwing techniques, when a knock came at entrance of the door. Ordering the other club members to continue with their respective practice session, he went and answered the door.

It was the girl that he loved, Medaka Kurokami.

"I hope I did not disturb your work as a captain, Junior Akune,' she said in a good-natured way, flashing him a proud smile, making his heart swell and flutter. "Or would you like to be called Captain Akune?"

"O-of course not, Medaka-san. You are welcome anytime! You can also call me anything you want!" He opened the door wider for her. "S-so, why are you here, Medaka-san?"

"Is wanting to have a conversation not enough of a reason for me to visit an important friend?" Medaka said as she cutely tilted her head, weakening his knees and almost making him stumble as he walked beside her.

"No! Nononono! Of course, you can! Anytime, any day! Twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred sixty-five days a year!"

"Good!" the purple-haired beauty smiled and then began to look around. "It seems you are doing well with being the captain."

"Of course, you can expect nothing less but excellence from me!" Kouki bumped his fist to his chest proudly.

She nodded. "I know…. But are you experiencing any problems?"

"I can proudly say that I haven't."

"If you do, you can always drop a request in the suggestion box."

"As you wish, Medaka-san." The day could not get any better with her beside him just talking about things, passing time comfortably. They stopped at one corner where Kouki could survey the whole hall and far enough from prying ears. "By the way, how's Nabeshima-senpai in the council."

"She's doing fantastic work. I couldn't ask for a more excellent secretary. I could only wish she would stop teasing poor Zenkichi."

"That's good news." The thought of Hitoyoshi suffering under Nabeshima's thumb brought a smile to his face. Then he frowned. "However, why exactly are you here, Medaka-san?"

It was pleasant to talk to the girl he loved. But the way they separated after he graduated from middle school was far from ideal. She also never visited the club on her own before.

Medaka sighed, her eyes sad. "I want to apologize."

It wasn't her fault… it was his. He was impatient. He thought that with him being by her side like Hitoyoshi for a year he had a chance. Moreover, when his impending graduation became nearer, the fear that his hard-earned position by her side would be gone became more overwhelming each passing day, so with desperation and confidence, he confessed. When she didn't reply, he pushed and attempted to kiss her. What he received was a very strong punch from an enraged Medaka Kurokami.

She then said the last words he would hear from her… until recently.

"You are not my Zenkichi."

Even though he was a man who couldn't be brought down by a rejection or two, those words were different. Those words brought to despair, and made him go back to the time when he was a destroyer. Kouki was actually surprised he even got into Hakoniwa Academy. To be honest, it was only thanks to Nekomi Nabeshima and Judo that he managed to get over with his depression and become the man that he was now. Then again, he never blamed Medaka.

Shaking his head, Kouki gave his answer, "Apology accepted. It was my fault in the first place. I got ahead of myself." However, even if he somehow got over her, he still loved her. So he had to ask the all-important question. "Just tell me Medaka-san. Did I even have a chance?"

Medaka was uncharacteristically subdued, her silky purple hair covering her red eyes. "I am really sorry, Akune. I have to answer no."

He expected the answer, but it still hurt.

But Kouki persevered and gave the sad girl that he had loved a smile. "Don't worry, Medaka-san. I understand."

"I'm really sorry Akune. However can we still be friends?" she asked her eyes full of hope.

"Of course!"

Nodding happily, she raised a hand and gave him a handshake. "Friends!" Her smile was bright, bringing happiness to his broken heart.

His smile widened. "Friends."

They talked some more, about some things she and the council did, the requests they had fulfilled. He also talked about the club, what he did before their reunion, the tournaments he won, the things he had accomplished. They also talked about their days in Hakobune and the troubles they had met and conquered. It was a conversation between friends, and he was somehow satisfied with it.

Then she left, reminding him again to drop a request to the suggestion box if he needed help.

That's when he broke down and fell uselessly on the floor. He then covered his eyes with his hands.

Feeling the wistful smile on his face, a single tear fell down.

It was the end of his bittersweet first love.

"C-captain, are you alright?" he heard the voice of the girl he was training say. He opened his eyes and saw her offering him a pink hanky. He took it and rubbed his eyes.

"Thank you, Ringo-san."

The pigtailed girl then hugged him, patting the back of his head. "Don't worry captain. It's all going to be fine."

Kouki gratefully took the hug, letting the heat from the pig-tailed girl to lessen a bit of the pain.

Yes, there was always hope. There was always a tomorrow. There were always more opportunities for love.

He was glad he became the Judo Club captain.

-000-

Notes:

Short, but I think this is enough to give Akune some closure. I hope that I pulled it off. Expect more short interludes for now on before the next big chapter.

To answer some questions you might have, the proper crossover with some of the series referenced won't be happening for a long time, especially with the rate I'm writing this story. I just wanted to write it so you people will not get disappointed. At most, there will be more references, but that's all.

Again, thank you WolfensteinVII for the beta, and thank you readers for the feedbacks. I hope you guys will have a very good day.


	5. Arc 1: Interlude 3

21st Century Schizoid Man

Written By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction. I do not own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. To those that have read Normal, this is a rewrite under a different title with the same story structure but different character takes, scenes, and general plot. Also, this story will be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Interlude 3: Hakama Talk

Hansode liked her grandfather, the amount of food he would always prepare when they met notwithstanding. He was kind and genial, an experienced man who had a very friendly face… not.

To be honest, she only visits for the free food she gets.

She didn't want to go to his office in the first place, but since Zenkichi was busy with surveying clubs, to pass time, Hansode decided to heed the call of appointment from her grandfather.

On the table was a feast fit for a sultan; several roasted chickens, a large roasted pig with an apple in its mouth, wine and grape juice, exotic fruits like durians and dragon fruits, anything you could imagine being served in a palace meal from the olden days was there. It seemed her grandfather was really going out of his way prepare the best. Hansode wondered what he wanted.

Munching a whole roast chicken, bones and all, she gave the School Chairman of Hakoniwa Academy, Hakama Shiranui, an inquiring leer. With a loud crunch and a smack of her lips, she spoke, "So… I'm here. What's up, grandpa?"

He smiled warmly at her. "I'm well, Sode-chan."

"I'm not asking about your health." She took the smelly and spiky durian and threw it into her mouth.

"Oh well, that's sad. Say, how is Hitoyoshi-kun?"

"Still obsessed with normalcy." The fruit may be smelly, but it sure has a unique taste.

"Well, that's not good. I really wanted to see him in action."

Hansode spied her grandfather just taking a meager sip on his cup of tea, completely ignoring the food. Yes, she definitely liked her grandfather. "What about his fight with that kendo guy?"

He shook his head, disappointed, as he placed his clay-ware cup on the table. "It wasn't up to my standards."

"Be careful what you wish for, grandpa." She bit through the dragon fruit, noticing the bland taste and mild sweetness, completely ignoring the pesticide-full skin.

"But Sode-chan, I'm already old. I want to see something extraordinary, something that has not been seen before by mortal eyes." Her grandpa was getting excited with his talk, while she was getting excited at the roast pig, breaking off its head and biting through its skull, her mouth now messy.

"You do know you're asking to be killed, right?" she said as she slurped the brains.

"I'm willing to dive into the depths of hell if I could see such a show before my demise."

"Cut to the chase, grandpa." Hansode then pulled the tongue off from the roast pig's mouth then took bites on it with the apple as the side dish. "Why am I here? I'm sure it's not just for me to hear you whine about you death wish."

"Say, Sode-chan, why don't you show me your own performance. I'm sure it's also a feast for the eyes."

For a moment, Hansode halted from her eating, and said, "No." She then returned to her devouring with much more viciousness, as she tossed the mutilated pig's head into her mouth, the loud crunch echoing all over the School Chairman's office.

"Not even a glimpse?"

"You're starting to sound like a perverted old man… grandpa." Feeling a bit thirsty, she took the punch bowl containing grape juice and unceremoniously poured all of its contents into her gaping mouth.

"I apologize…. So you won't?"

"Nope!" She then took two bottles of wine and tossed them both to her mouth, the combination of broken glass bottles and wine making a very unique combination. "Well, I could, if Zenkichi agrees, which I really doubt."

"So it still hinges on his normality huh."

Hansode let out an unladylike burp. "Yep!"

"Very well." Hakama's eyes opened, showing deep black irises, his kind old man persona replaced with a face of a crazed man in the verge of death. "Then how about you kill one of the Thirteen Party for me, Sode-chan?"

Hansode completely stopped from eating. "Does the zaibatsu president know about this?"

"Of course. The only right action after the academy's founder rescinded her support is to push the schedule forward. With an open position for the Thirteen Party, we could use the aftermath to push the perfection of the Kurokami heir."

"So the Flask Plan still lives."

"In a way. Just because Najimi Ajimu is in your camp does not mean we will stop a several century old plan of creating a perfect human. For the country of rising sun and all that." Hakama grinned mockingly.

"Perfect huh…." Hansode clicked het tongue in irritation. As far as Hansode knows, the Flask Plan's goal was to create a formula to turn ordinary humans into Abnormals…. It seems that the zaibatsu decided to rush things and push another aspect of the plan— to create the perfect human. But for what purpose? The Fallen Hero is already non-existent, and that man was deader than dead…. There are only two conclusions Shiranui could think of.

One, other forces were now moving, threats from the outside that needed countermeasures in case of a worst-case scenario. And two, they see Zenkichi as a threat, like those two, and to combat the threat as soon as possible, creating a single perfect human was the obvious answer.

She grinned. They could definitely use this.

"So you're going to do it?" his grandpa asked, breaking her from her thoughts.

"You should ask him," she answered the only answer she could give.

"He doesn't have to know about this."

Hansode shook her head. "That's impossible, he always knows."

"Even in his current state?"

She smacked her lips, breaking off some of the crunchy skin off from the roast pig's belly and putting it into her mouth. "Well…. Even if he doesn't, I won't. I like you grandpa, I really do. However, I am not a dog you can sick on anyone you want."

"Ah, I apologize."

"However, I could do it for a fee, of course." Her grin reached ear-to-ear, feeling drool leaking from the side of her mouth.

Hakama paled, delighting her. "No thanks…. I'm really sorry, sometimes I forget my place."

"No harm done." She shrugged.

Her grandfather shook his head sighing in relief, and then smiled. "You know, Sode-chan. I'm really glad I got to live to this day. I could not be more proud, to bear witness to another member of the Shiranui clan ascending to such heights. I dreamt of such a thing happening, but I never expected that reality could surpass that dream. I knew it was a possibility, Sode-chan, with the clan's founder becoming the double of the entity named Najimi Ajimu. But for you to surpass even that, it was just unprecedented."

Hansode gritted her teeth as flashes of extreme pain came to her… memories of her mortality, of her gruesome death. However, it all paled to her loss, to his and her pain of losing…. She slammed her hand on the table, breaking it in half, the splinters bursting into the air, the food making a mess on the floor.

"Ah, it seems I have touched some unpleasant memories, Sode-chan. I deeply apologize," he quickly added, sweating profusely.

"You should be really careful with your words grandpa; just a little bit more and I might get the urge to try some old meat once in a while."

"U-understood."

It took almost a minute for her to calm down, hyperventilating even though her current body never needed air. It seemed there was still some human in her after all. She clicked her tongue in disgust.

"I don't know what happened for you to ascend, Sode-chan. But I'm deeply sorry if I offended you."

"Just… don't do it next time, old man."

Hakama stared at the messy floor and shook his head. "Why don't we move elsewhere?"

"…I still have classes, grandpa." Finally, she collected herself.

"So you like going to class?"

"Nah, I only go because he goes."

"Understandable, but can you give one day to this old man? I want to spend more time with my favorite grandchild."

Seeing as Zenkichi was pretty busy, Hansode agreed. Even if he was callous and crazy, Hansode still liked her grandfather.

-000-

Notes:

Short but necessary. Sorry if you guys were expecting a long chapter. Anyway, thank you for the feedbacks; they greatly help in the writing process and coming up with new ideas. I hope you people would continue with your support. Again, thank you for reading and good day.


	6. Arc 1: Chapter 3

21st Century Schizoid Man

Written By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction. I do not own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. To those that have read Normal, this is a rewrite under a different title with the same story structure but different character takes, scenes, and general plot. Also, this story will be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Chapter 3: Zenkichi Letter

Zenkichi smiled, his stress disappearing to oblivion in puffs of smoke. Watering plants did have relaxing properties.

The air was already hot, the sun high in the sky. It was summer.

Days have already passed since Nabeshima joined the council, and with her joining, his workload dramatically decreased, which means the same with for his childhood friend. Thus, Medaka, with him and the new secretary in tow, had managed to fulfill a lot of requests, which in turn exponentially increased the number of plants and flowers inside the room.

The Student Council room was already a veritable garden.

Zenkichi commented on it to Medaka one time, that soon the whole school would be a garden of flowers. She only smiled, her eyes sparkling at such a delightful future. That's when she revealed that it was one of her goals to cover the academy with flowers. Nabeshima only raised her eyebrows while he nodded in approval. It was a good future prospect, and he wholeheartedly approved of it. At least it would make the school more pleasant than what it truly was.

Speaking of Medaka and Nabeshima….

"You may have a very gorgeous penmanship, Kurokami-chan. But do you really know how to write one?"

"Oh? What are you implying, Secretary Nabeshima?"

They were having some sort of discussion...? while drinking some tea that he had prepared. The new secretary was lounging on one of the chairs, her feet resting on the long table, while the president was on her usual seat behind the ornate table, glancing on the potted Lily of the Valley from time-to-time. It was quite a sight, as both were wearing the summer version of the uniform for the Student Council, thin short-sleeves in the usual color of black. Nabeshima was prim and proper, her gauze eye-patch giving the green-haired girl a mysterious air around her. Medaka, on the other hand, was wearing a modified one, sleeveless and proudly showing off her huge assets. Zenkichi had to be honest, the only reason he was watering the plants at that time was to keep his self from losing control due to the sights of two contrasting beauties within the same room.

His back facing the girls, he started humming a tune from a song he heard belonging to a series about some glasses person and his friends trapped in a fantasy world, as he absentmindedly watered a large flowerpot while he listened to their… argument. There wasn't much paperwork, so they enjoyed their time after-school lazing about in the room.

"Kuku, I'm not implying anything…. It's just that you're inexperienced in writing about this…."

"I might not have experience, as you say. However, I am confident in my abilities."

Suddenly Zenkichi felt someone embracing him from behind, the body obviously female with how soft and supple it felt. The girl then began rubbing herself up and down on his back, making his spine tingle and his body rigid and in… attention. "What do you think, Hitoyoshi-kun, does Kurokami-chan have what it takes write a love letter?" It was Nekomi Nabeshima whispering into his him, her voice alluringly caressing his right ear.

"L-love letter?" He couldn't help but stutter from both the very close proximity of the eye-patched girl and the question she asked.

Now that he thought about it, Nabeshima had just finished with the request of helping a spunky boyish senior girl named Kenna Yasutshiro — she had the same taste in clothing as Medaka with how she modified her own uniform — with writing a love letter. The senior girl first came to ask the council, specifically Medaka, to write her a letter for a person she liked since, as she said, she was embarrassed with her not-so-good handwriting. Zenkichi was actually expecting the buxom girl to give Yasutshiro a penmanship training from hell, however, before his childhood friend could begin, the eye-patched secretary made the first move and asked Medaka to let her be the one to fulfill the favor. It was a good move from the green-haired senior, most likely knowing the fate of the boyish girl if she was placed under his childhood friend's supervision. It was also the most logical move, since with Nabeshima being a third-year, she was sure to have an experience or two with the topic.

Medaka, the logical thinker that she was — sometimes — agreed.

However, in the end, Nabeshima had the same solution as his scantily clad childhood friend: making Yasutshiro practice her penmanship more under her guidance. Nevertheless, he was sure the spunky girl would have experienced hell if it were Medaka, so all was well in the end.

Anyways, it was just at the aftermath of that particular request when he began to water the plants while Nabeshima and Medaka had a talk about — Zenkichi was already feeling dread — love letters.

"Kuku, don't be so nervous, Hitoyoshi-kun. It's just a question." He could feel the green-haired girl's hands roaming over from his chest to his stomach, thankful for the uniform giving him the much-needed barrier from her… ministrations.

"Ummm… c-can you repeat it again? I didn't quite get it," he said, taking a page from the oblivious harem protagonist book of density. He took a glance at Medaka, who was narrowing her eyes more and more by the millimeter each second. Oh, he had to get away from the claws of the cat-like senior, and get away fast!

He was really glad when Nabeshima released him by herself, pushing him away so that he almost fell face-first into the plants he was watering. "H-hey!"

"Mou, you're no fun," he heard Nabeshima say.

Zenkichi managed to right himself, turn, and see the eye-patched girl place her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

"Don't be a wuss and answer the question," she added. It seemed Nabeshima was true to the promise and still hated him… he hoped.

"Well, she's a girl. She's also a teenage girl. What do you think?"

The secretary only groaned and raised her hands high in frustration. She then turned to face Medaka who was back to her usual serious expression. "Ignoring Hitoyoshi-kun and his stupid answers, I still think that you can't write one, Kurokami-chan."

The purple-haired buxom girl took a sophisticated sip of her tea, her legs crossed under her very short skirt, her eyes closed. She then opened them, her red orbs shining in delight. "Is that a challenge I'm hearing, Secretary Nabeshima?"

"Like some idiot said, what do you think?" Nabeshima flashed his childhood friend a smile, showing some of her pearly white teeth.

Zenkichi, of course, remained silent, doing his usual contingency plan about girls and their arguments. Still, he did notice how the green-haired senior's incisors were longer and sharper than normal.

"Very well, what are the terms?" Medaka stood up, her arms crossed under her large breasts.

"We both write a love letter, each, with one week of preparation to make things more fair."

"Go on."

Nabeshima's smile turned into a grin. "The catch: we will have Zenkichi be the judge."

"I accept," his child hood friend answered with no reaction whatsoever….

Wait! What!?

"H-hey, girls? I-I don't think making me a judge is a g-good idea." He kept stuttering. The prospect of receiving love letters from both girls cluttered his mind almost to halt. He never received a love letter in his life… ever. He should be glad, he really should, but having to decide who made a better letter was like being placed in a guillotine — he was going to be killed regardless of his choice.

"Shut up, Hitoyoshi-kun!"

"Please be quiet, Zenkichi, we are talking."

Both said at the same time, glaring at him.

Oh, why him? Why!?

Then again, this was also normal.

-000-

Why did she goad Kurokami into a challenge? And a challenge about love letters, for that matter? What the hell was wrong with her?

_Ohh, you really do complain a lot._

Right, it was because the voice in her head somehow managed to possess her body for a time and did all those things….

_It's not as if you didn't like it…. He may not have hard rock muscles, but he sure was lean._

_Shut up for a second, okay?_, she answered in her mind.

_Oh, pooh._

She just wanted to rile Kurokami up a bit, see how the purple-haired girl ticks, you know, her usual way of having fun, and then suddenly it devolved into somewhat of an argument. Not that she couldn't help it, she was confident that she could write a better love letter than the inexperienced and clearly naïve genius president.

_Kuku, of course the confidence only lasted until you realized that Kurokami-chan was Hitoyoshi-kun's childhood friend._

Nekomi inwardly cursed. Having another voice in her head was really annoying.

_Hey!_

However, just as Shiranui and that unknown girl said, it was the consequence. To be honest, she really didn't know what the voice was. It might be a spirit possessing her — she hoped it could do things like a stand, which would be really cool — or just a manifestation of a severe multiple personality disorder she had acquired from all the stress she accumulated in her life. For the moment, she was leaning more to the former with what that monstrous little girl and that floating girl did to her.

She only hoped it wasn't evil… then again….

_Hey, I'm not evil. I'm just a veryyyy bad girrrrl!_

Nekomi gritted her teeth; she sometimes hated how this spirit, or other personality, acted so… slutty.

_I'm not a slut. I'm just honest!_

It was truly a punishment, a bad end to end bad ends.

_You never complained about my suggestion of becoming the secretary._

Well, she didn't. It was a very good idea, as the gnawing curiosity about a certain strawberry-blonde immortal still existed and only grew after the incident.

_If you want to know what he truly is, you could just ask me._

She didn't want to.

_Ohh… there it is again…. You really act like some tsundere._

_I am not tsundere! I actually feel hate towards Hitoyoshi-kun!_

_Kuku, I didn't say anything about our boy wonder._

Nekomi could definitely see a very wide grin in her mind's eye.

"Gahh!", she shouted as she held her head, startling the students around her. Nekomi glared at them, stopping their gawking, and continued her brisk walk towards the school's rooftop.

It was the day after she — with the unneeded help of the voice in her head — unwittingly challenged the purple-haired Kurokami in a contest for who could write the better love letter. That was not all, as the judge for the love letter was the much hated monstrosity of a humble genius, Zenkichi Hitoyoshi… stressing her to the point that she never got sleep the night after.

_I'm sure that's not the only reason you lost sleep. Nyan! Nyan! Kukuku._

She hurried her steps as she felt her cheeks blushing. It was only thanks to her new heightened reflexes that she managed to avoid colliding with the thick student population on her way.

_Anyway, are you really sure?_

_There no other way, she's the person who knows him the most_, Nekomi answered.

_That's vexing you know; her knowing more about him than us._

_We can't do anything about it…._

_Yeah…._

Nekomi sighed.

_No matter! You might not know this, but I'm sure human concepts like monogamy don't apply to him! Chance! Chance!_

_Huh?_

_Trust me, I know._

_And why do I even care?_

_Oh, you!_

And with a final step, she finally arrived at the door leading to the rooftop. She raised her arms and grabbed the door's handle. She hesitated.

_Going to ask you again. Is this really necessary? I'm sure we could write a love letter that would definitely melt his heart without her help._

Nekomi never answered, not that she need to, as the voice actually knew the true reason.

Taking one last breath, she opened the door, the air rushing towards her.

"Ahya, you made me wait, kitty."

"Don't call me that."

It was Hansode Shiranui sitting on a large picnic blanket surrounded by tons of food. Even though the sun was high up, its heat surging to the point she was sure one could cook eggs on a metal plate, the small, monstrous girl wasn't even sweating. Not that Nekomi was uncomfortable with the heat.

Speaking of cooking eggs, the diminutive girl was actually cooking several dozens of sunny side-up eggs on a very large metal plate beside her blanket, the sound of sizzling oil and eggs becoming the impromptu BGM between them.

"Feisty eh," she said as she shoved several burgers to her gaping mouth. "It's a lot of work bringing this much stuff up here."

Normally, Nekomi should have felt disgusted by such deplorable sight. However, she could only feel indifference. Sometimes she thought that it was not just an eye and a voice in her head that she had lost and gained that night.

_That's right. Don't be afraid. Remember. I'm older than she is. She may be powerful, but I have more experience._

With confidence welling up inside, Nekomi grinned.

"I'm sorry if I took some of your Hitoyoshi-time, Shiranui-chan."

"You should be!" the blue-haired girl wiped her mouth with one of her sleeves, grinning. "But really, love letters? You're definitely juvenile for someone with your unique… status."

Nekomi tilted her head, confused.

_Kuku, respect, I like that!_

"So are you going to help me or not?"

"Hmm, what can a little ol' me do to help you, kitty?" she said feigning ignorance.

Nekomi humored Shiranui, her chest constricting, the voice in her head growling, as she answered, "I may not like it, but without your help, I won't win against Kurokami-chan."

"Oh, I'm just an innocent girl. I do not understand what you're talking about, kitty!"

She could feel her teeth grinding. "I want to know everything about him. His favorite actor, his favorite movie, his favorite toy, his hated vegetable, his favorite food, his likes and his dislikes, his dreams and aspirations, his goals, his wants and needs. I want to know everything about him."

Shiranui's childish facade disappeared, her expression turning into interest. She rubbed her chin after she placed down the submarine sandwich she was eating on the blanket. "This isn't just about the love letter contest, huh."

"Um, no, it's just about the contest… really."

The child-like freshman just shook her head. "This is quite a surprise. You're actually just like him in this situation."

"Huh?"

Nodding to herself several times, the blue-haired girl then smiled at Nekomi. "You really are cat through and through. Very well, I'll help you. This is turning out to be a fun way to pass time. I really want to see the little princess lose for once, anyway."

Nekomi sighed in relief.

"However," Shiranui added, "I won't show you everything. You're just not worthy of them. You know, the truth can kill you and all that. You're a kitty cat so you already know what I'm talking about with that popular saying about curiosity."

"Is that challenge?"

"What do you think?"

They both grinned.

Nevertheless, Nekomi could not help but notice the voice had stopped talking as her conversation with Shiranui continued.

Was it really a spirit?

-000-

Medaka was at an impasse.

She had to admit it, Nabeshima was right; she didn't know how to write a love letter.

Of course, she knew the concept behind love letters. She could even remember the definition of it.

Love letter. Noun. A letter or note to be written by someone to his or her sweetheart or lover. A romantic way of expressing feelings of love in written form.

However, two things prevented her from writing the aforementioned letter: the word love, and the recipient, her childhood friend, Zenkichi Hitoyoshi.

Just to be clear, she wasn't afraid. Medaka Kurokami wasn't afraid of anything! She was just wary. Yes! Wary was definitely the right word to describe her current situation. She's wary that Zenkichi might reject her, again.

If he only said yes….

Anyway, with her… wariness, two days had already passed since the challenge was issued and she still had not written a single word. Thus, she decided to get some help from someone she knew who would give excellent instruction.

'Asking for help' was a human trait that she learned when he disappeared. Oh, she knew about helping, but most of the time she was the one doing the helping, not the one who receives help. She was grateful for some of those super interesting books his older brother had lent her. Who knew the concept of friends could actually make someone stronger? Definitely not her.

However, all of them were fiction, so the concept was iffy.

Then again, even if the concept was true, it would not be applicable to her. She didn't need anyone to be strong. She didn't need anyone to be super special. She didn't anyone.

Except for Zenkichi….

She needs him.

Nevertheless, before she could descend to the dark part of her psyche, she perked up as she saw the Judo Hall getting nearer.

Yes, she was going to Akune for advice on how to write a love letter.

Of course, she knew it was insensitive of her to go to him for such a thing when she just rejected him a few days ago, but she really needed the assistance. Furthermore, Akune did write a love letter to her back then, though she never answered.

It was cruel, she knew. However, she was always true, especially with herself and her own feelings… in a way. Selfish, she had to admit, but it was the core of being human — the concept she only learned when he disappeared.

She hesitated a bit, her knuckles just inches from the door. She was his friend, right? Moreover, friends help each other, right? Nodding, her knuckle crossed the few inches of empty air to the door, repeating the action in a rhythmic manner.

Again, Akune answered, his expression in a state of shock.

"Medaka-san, why are you here? Not that you're unwelcome, of course," he said, losing his usual blush and stutter. It was a pleasant change, showing the confident young man the blonde was supposed to be.

Medaka smiled, and whispered, "I do not want others to hear, can we talk outside." Anything about Zenkichi was always important enough to prevent others from eavesdropping on her.

Akune nodded, looking back inside to shout at the other club members to continue their practice. Medaka noticed a girl who had twin pigtails glaring at her. The girl then approached them.

"Captain Akune, what does the president want?" she asked in her soft voice.

"Oh, don't mind me, Ringo-san, this won't take long. Continue practicing what I just taught you, okay?" the blonde judo captain said.

The pigtail girl nodded and returned to her club activity, but not before giving Medaka one last glare. Akune, who was already facing Medaka, did not see it.

"What's this about, Medaka-san?" he asked after he closed the door.

"I'll be direct. I want you to teach me how to write a proper love letter," she said with her usual confidence.

"L-love letter? M-medaka-san…. L-love letter?"

It seemed the sudden reveal of intentions shocked him, which was surprising. What was so shocking about a love letter? It was a common practice from what she could infer from her readings.

"Yes, love letter."

"But w-who would you give it to?"

"Zenkichi."

"H-hitoyoshi!?"

"Yes."

Akune then began to mumble unintelligibly to himself, though she could hear bit and pieces about cutting something off, and about throwing to the ocean after the cement in the drum dried. It was somewhat a unique reaction… much unexpected.

After some moments have passed, he finally answered with another question, "Why?"

"Very well. You see, a couple of days ago Secretary Nabeshima just finished a request involving helping a troubled student with her penmanship, so she could write a love letter. She and I then discussed the aftermath of that particular request which evolved into her challenging me about who could better write a love letter. Zenkichi, currently being the only male in the council, was assigned as the judge."

She decided not to tell him about the secretary's… questionable actions towards his childhood friend. Even just thinking about it was very unpleasant for her.

"So that's what happened huh?" Akune nodded as he rubbed his chin with his fingers and did a thinking pose. "But I don't think you really need my help in writing a love letter. With your talents, I'm sure you can write one good enough to be heralded as the most romantic letter ever written."

"I can't"

"Huh?"

"I am unable to write the letter."

"Why?"

She never answered, looking away from him, the toes of one of her shoes poking the ground, blushing at the thought of confessing to her childhood friend.

"Ugh." Akune scratched his head, messing his blonde hair. "I think I know what your problem is."

"You do?"

"You're scared aren't you?"

"What!?" She could not help but yell. "I am Medaka Kurokami. I do not get scared."

The judo captain was unperturbed. "But you do. You are scared of rejection."

"Nonsense."

He shook his head. "If you can't admit it to yourself then writing the love letter you want is impossible."

"Bu—" she never finished as he interrupted her.

"And even if you did manage to write something, it would be hollow. You don't want to give Hitoyoshi a hollow love letter, right?"

Medaka definitely did not want that. "No."

"Then admit it, you're scared of his rejection."

It was hard admitting it, to admit someone like her had something to fear. Nevertheless, it was there, hidden ever since he rejected her marriage proposal back when they first met in that hospital.

"I'm scared of being rejected by him."

But she did.

"If I didn't hear it from you in the first place, I wouldn't have believed it. Hitoyoshi sure is one damn lucky bastard." He sighed. "Anyway, I won't ask why you're afraid of such a thing in the first place."

"You have my thanks."

"So, you want to write a love letter, huh. That's a tough one. I don't think I can help you that much. However I could give you one advice."

Medaka eagerly nodded, readying to store in her eidetic memory a possible answer to her current dilemma.

"To be honest, this is quite something, but for you, I'll say it. Are you ready?"

Medaka nodded again.

"Good." Akune took one large breath and exhaled loudly. "First, you have to erase your mind of everything unnecessary for that moment and just think of the one who will be receiving the letter. Remember everything, every incident, every moment, and the feelings you felt while being beside him. Bear yourself open and pour everything for the moment. And then release the love and let it envelope you, then you can begin to write the letter." He then shook his head, somehow smiling in nostalgia. "But ignore those words I just said."

"Huh?" It was good advice from what she heard.

"The best thing that you could do when writing a letter is to be true to yourself and tell him how much you love him."

To be herself huh…. It definitely had some merit.

Medaka smiled. "That was enlightening, Captain Akune. I was not wrong in asking you for advice. You have my gratitude." She then bowed.

He grinned. "No problem, Medaka-san."

"I have taken enough of your time, so let us end our discussion here."

"Sure. By the way, if Zenkichi makes you cry, just tell me, okay? I'll beat him to a pulp."

Medaka didn't understand. Zenkichi making her cry was impossible, well except when he disappeared. However, she won't let that happen again, ever. Nevertheless, in gratitude to his advice, she gave a single nod. "I'll remember. Well then, it's time for me to leave."

"Yeah, till next time." Akune then returned in the hall.

As she heard the door close, she grinned and skipped towards the Student Council room.

Somehow, the thought of writing a love letter for him was now making her excited.

She welcomed the feeling with a smile.

-000-

Zenkichi needed to find Shiranui and find her fast.

He was anxious and leery. He was also losing sleep worrying about what will happen next week. All because two girls within Student Council had a thought that it was a good idea to make him the judge to a challenge on who could write a better love letter.

He mulled about it, of course, thinking about the outcomes when he chooses a winner, most of them with him ending up as a blood splatter on the wall.

That's why he decided to ask his ol' reliable best friend Hansode Shiranui for help.

However, two days had already passed and he never even saw even a glimpse of her. Zenkichi didn't want to think about it, but the truth was the truth. Somehow, she knew of this latest development in his life and was milking it for all its worth.

He cursed, but never gave-up his search for the blue-haired girl.

He felt someone poking at his back, making him turn to glare at whoever disturbed him from his search. It was Hansode Shiranui, beaming cutely at him.

Thus, in the third day after the love letter challenge was issued, the reward for his efforts came.

Zenkichi almost fell to his knees and cried to her skirt… actually, he did do that.

"S-Shiranui! Thank God you're here!"

His blue-haired best friend didn't stop him; even patting his head as she softly whispered calming words to him.

"Ahyahya, you know, I actually miss you acting so goofy and perverted, Zenkichi. And could you please stop rubbing my skirt to your face?"

"No, I like me some loli skirts once in a while," he said, rubbing his face to her skirt as though it was greatest treasure of humankind, which if you look at it knowing what she is, had some semblance of truth. Of course, the only reason he was doing something so perverted was only because he was sure there were no other people that could see him acting in such a way, being in a dilapidated building located in one of the very corners of Hakoniwa definitely helped. One might ask why he was even there. Think about it, where does a being like her spend her time when she was not with him? Her grandfather's office not included of course.

"You're really messed up," she said in a very chipper tone.

"Nah," he said as he relented from sniffing the eldritch loli's goodness and stood up. He then took a very large breath of air and forced the perverted smile on his face down to his usual, normal expression. "I'm normal."

"If the stress was really too much, you should have asked the old hag for some…. Heck, you could have called the others." Shiranui was blushing, patting her skirt to remove the inappropriate creases.

"So you don't want me doing these things to you?"

"N-no, It's not like that." Her whole face was red now. How cute! He really cherished the few moments when Shiranui acted like the girl she was supposed to be… the cute, dangerous, yet somewhat harmless human she was supposed to be, reminiscent of her personality before….

Zenkichi patted her head, messing her blue hair.

"This was sudden, never thought my personality would break down like this."

"If I knew that a pair of girls planning on giving you a love letter would be enough to make you like this, I would not have helped kitty."

It seemed one of Zenkichi's fears came true.

"So you were gone because you were helping her? That's new."

"Meh," she shrugged, enjoying his ministrations. "I thought it was fun."

"Fun… huh…." He then stopped messing her hair, making her pout. "Damn, with this, I can't ask you for help."

"Well, let me hear it first."

He may not like it, but he can only think of one way to prevent the inevitable carnage.

"Well, can I ask you, to, you know, steal the letters before they could even give them to me?"

"I may admit to being a monster of godly proportions, Zenkichi, but I'm not one of those who break deals. And remember, this is Nekomi Nabeshima we're talking about. She's not some normal, stressed-out bitch anymore. "

"Though I don't like how you describe Nabeshima-san, you're right."

"Why not just take both of them? You might get a happy ending. It did work with us," she said nonchalantly, not even batting an eye to what she was suggesting.

"Really, Shiranui?" Yeah maybe he could.

She grinned. "Nope! This is the little princess and the cat we're talking about. The cat still has her normal sense of morals and the little princess, even if she came from a polygamous family, definitely has one mean streak of jealousy. You'll certainly lose limbs if you go through with this now."

Zenkichi gulped loudly. "Okay…. Let's cross that out…."

"Well, you could steal them yourself."

Somehow, Zenkichi could almost see light shining down upon him from above. All that's left for the moment to be perfect was the sound of a choir singing praises. "Brilliant! Why didn't I think of that?"

"Yeah," Shiranui drawled out, mocking, "why didn't you?"

"Umm, stress?"

His best friend sighed. "Never mind." She then looked him in the eyes, her blue eyes narrowing. "So you're really doing it? That's actually cruel, definitely not your usual prattle." She then gave him an alluring smile. "I like it."

Yeah, he knew what he was planning to do was obscene, a complete disregard to both Nabeshima and Medaka's feelings. It was callous and was actually out-of-character for the old him in terms of his feelings towards Medaka. However, to tell the truth, he did not care. To keep the status quo, to keep his life normal… he would do it.

"Well, if that's all, I'm going, Shiranui; want to go home together later?"

"Yeah, that would be lovely. But before that." She suddenly held his head and kissed him, her tongue and several other appendages playing with his own inside his mouth. He reluctantly welcomed it.

"We still have class, Shiranui," he said after she finished.

"Fuck classes, we don't need them anyway." She kissed him again.

This time, he returned the affection with vigor.

-000-

It was the day after Hansode and Zenkichi's tryst, and the third day after she helped the cat with her love letter problem.

Hansode Shiranui was in a very good mood.

In addition, to go with her good mood, good deeds must be done. Therefore, when the clock ticked to 12 and the bell rang for lunch, she went and searched for a certain green-haired pussy. Hansode chuckled at the crude pun.

The catty secretary, as usual, was found under her familiar tree, hiding from the summer sun as she ate her lunch — a tuna sandwich she bought from the cafeteria.

It was lunch and Hansode was hungry, but after yesterday's session, her eternal hunger diminished to manageable levels, enough that she could pass lunch by just eating some of her replenished treats she had stored in her secret stash.

"Hello kitty!" she said, snickering at another pun as she called the cat's attention. "Need to tell you something!"

Nabeshima stood up, patting the back of her skirt. She then glared at Hansode with her one visible eye. "Don't call me that!"

"Oka~y!" Hansode skipped towards her.

The cat's eye — yay for another pun — then narrowed as she noticed something. "Hey, why aren't you eating anything?"

Hansode slurred while smiling knowingly. "Let's just say my hunger was satisfied yesterday."

The green-haired secretary raised one eyebrow in curiosity and then sniffed. Her eyes suddenly widened, "What the fuck!" Her surprised expression morphed into fury as she growled threateningly at her. "Did you come here just to taunt me!?"

"Oh?" Hansode acted oblivious and sniffed herself. "Do I smell? I made sure to wash myself extra clean this morning too, especially after yesterday."

"Damn you!" Nabeshima lunged at her with fury, her nails lengthening into claws.

Hansode simply backhanded the attacking cat, launching her body back-first to the tree she was using as a shade, cracking the bark in the process. "You should listen to that voice in your head next time, Nabeshima-san. It might save your life."

"Fuck you, you little whore!"

Before the green-haired kitten could attack again, Hansode leaped towards her and stepped on her chest, pressing her protesting body further into to the cracking tree.

"Since I'm in a good mood, call me what you want." Hansode sneered at the pathetic cat. "But you should always remember, Nabeshima-san, you are not in a romantic comedy. Just because you had already received the consequences of your actions, that doesn't mean your life will be sunshine and roses after."

The cat just hissed. "I know already!"

"No you don't. Tell me, why did you attack me?"

The hissing stopped, though the cat's angry eye continued to glare at Hansode.

"Because you like him," Hansode answered her own question.

"No I—"

Hansode pressed on the furious kitten's chest harder, stopping the cat from talking.

"This hate thing of yours…. I don't really know anything about it, but if I could guess, it's something Zenkichi said, isn't it?"

Hansode lessened the pressure to let her talk.

Nabeshima did not reply.

"Ahya, really, damn pride." Hansode frowned at the prone cat. "What I want to tell you is to think! Tell me, what do you think of Zenkichi's actions towards the little princess and me? Heck, even with you? Huh, tell me."

Nabeshima's glare disappeared as she widened her eyes, her mouth opening and closing in disbelief. "No way…."

"Yes way and you know what? There are already eight of us who are intimate with him, not including you and that Kurokami girl."

"W-what!?"

"Think about this as much as you can before you continue with this love letter shenanigan of yours. Also, keep in mind that this won't be like those juvenile human harem stories. This is not for his wish-fulfillment."

"B-but…."

Nabeshima really was a stupid girl. Then again, so was Hansode's past self. Even if what she was doing was against Zenkichi's plans, she would do it. Not for Nabeshima, not for Hitoyoshi, but for her past self.

"Are you ready to sacrifice your dreams? Your family? Your future? Yourself? Everything? Are you ready to share his heart with others? Can your fragile heart even take it? I'm telling you this because you have lived a normal life until now…. What I've shown you is only a glimpse about who he really is. However, I'll tell you right now as a warning. If you think I'm a monster… then Zenkichi is The Devil."

Hansode then took her feet off from the shocked senior and sighed.

"Remember. Think before you go through your act. Also, listen to that other voice on your head; it's the only thing that could help you with your dilemma."

"You don't need to do this," Nabeshima said. Her voice was petulant but subdued.

"I'm sorry for breaking your illusion of a rosy high-school life. But I think leaving you alone would only hurt you more in the end."

"I don't need your help." The cat lowered her head, hiding her eye with her green hair. If Hansode were still human, she would have felt sorry. However, she only felt nothing.

Hansode only shrugged and began walking away, but then she stopped as she remembered something. "Oh, before I forget, if you do continue with this love letter contest of yours, your enemy would not only be Medaka, but also Zenkichi." Not waiting for a reply, she continued her walk towards a nearby public phone, but then she remembered how busy Zenkichi was, so she changed directions and began walking towards the cafeteria.

Doing a good deed made her hungry.

-000-

It was the promised day. The day the winner of the love letter would be decided and the day she would reveal her feelings.

Medaka was both nervous and excited at the prospect.

So with an erratic heart and an almost indiscernible skip to her steps, she entered the large gates of Hakoniwa Academy with the letter in hand.

Then a gust of wind came by, almost lifting her skirt up to show the world her undergarments. Usually, in the past, it wouldn't matter to her if her panties were seen and would have reveled on showing the body she had worked hard on making beautiful, but with Zenkichi's disappearance, she had learned that there were things that were meant to be hidden, only to be shown to someone very special. Therefore, she held her skirt with both of her hands. That's when she noticed the letter was gone.

Staring in disbelief at her empty hands, she sensed a presence, making her look up. There, in top of one of the gate's pillars was a male wearing a blue ninja garb, his face hidden entirely while wearing a gaudy eye mask, holding the precious love letter.

"Hahaha Haahahaha! It is I, the Blue Ninja of Hakoniwa High! The guardian of unloved men! The avenger of those who don't receive chocolates in Valentine's Day! The great hero of virgins and the unpopular! Hear me, girl who's about to enact such travesty, I, Blue Ninja, had stolen your love letter!" He did several ridiculous poses as he spouted nonsense, waving her letter tauntingly.

Medaka would have been amused if she weren't so angry. Still, she noticed other students who were just entering the school were staring widely at him, the girls glaring while some boys cheered. The Public Morals Committee members present would have done something if she did not preempt them.

"Now, I, Blue Ninja, will rip this le—urk!"

He never finished with his nonsense as Medaka leaped and kicked his head so hard that when he landed, he created a trench a foot deep and several feet in length. This stopped the other boys from cheering, replaced by the girls' shouts of approval. She then rushed to the bastard that stole the letter to exact more punishment and get back her letter. However, when she arrived at the newly made man-shaped hole, he was already gone.

"Ha~ha Hahaha! Do you think a mere kick can stop me, the Blue Ninja of Hakoniwa Academy!?" She heard him say, pinpointing his current location. The bastard was on the rooftop of one of the buildings inside Hakoniwa, holding his wobbling head, his ninja garb dirty, his face still hidden.

Medaka began to run in his direction.

"Wait! Stop! If you move any further, I will actually rip this letter of yours!" He held her letter with one hand while still holding his head with the other.

She stopped, her breathing ragged in anger. Seeing a strand of her hair was now fluorescent red, she concluded that she had entered [War God Mode] again. However, with her realizing what had happened to her means she still had her thought processes, albeit clouded with extreme anger. It seems she had achieved another level. However, for now, she had an important thing to worry about before she could delve into it more, her stolen letter.

"Give it back to me!"

"Haha! Do you think your pleas will work on me, woman? I am the Blue Ninja, the great guardian of the unloved!"

"Please!"

The ninja's body stiffened but then shook it off. "No." He then jumped to the roof of another building away from her.

She followed intent on getting the letter back at all costs.

-000-

She did it. Even with the monster girl's warning, she still did it. She actually went and wrote a love letter for Hitoyoshi.

Nekomi thought a lot about it of course. Whether it was actually appropriate or not, whether if she would pursue him or not, and the probable endings she would face. However, her overwhelming curiosity won.

_Is it really just curiosity? Hmm, I wonder._

Yes, definitely just overwhelming curiosity, nothing more nothing less.

_But are you really ready? Even as great as I am, I have doubts._

Yes, she would go through with it. She already took a step forward, why back out?

_You still have your morality; you might not like the outcome._

Even so, she already promised. Nekomi Nabeshima will hate Zenkichi Hitoyoshi forever.

_Thinking like that will only end badly for you. However, who am I to tell you otherwise. I'm only but another voice in your head._

_You say things like that, but who was it that started this mess?_she answered within her mind.

_Point._

Thus, with the painstakingly thought-out letter in hand, she went and entered the Academy, noticing but not caring about the students gathering in a group just beside the gate while some members of the Public Morals Committee tried to calm them down.

Then a strong breeze came, threatening to lift her skirt up if she didn't hold it down with both of her hands. Cursing, she patted her skirt and realized the letter she had was gone.

"Haha Haahahaha! I, the Blue Ninja, have taken another letter from another offender of the unloved and justice!"

Nekomi could only stare at the blue-garbed faceless Ninja with the comical eyewear — he looked more like a sentai series reject — in front of her doing poses with two letters in hand, one which was her own and the other, she was sure, was by Kurokami. She also heard some boys in the gathered group yelling approvals. Pathetic!

He then leaped to a building's rooftop, running, as a red blur, most likely the angry president, sped following him.

_So this is what she meant…. This is priceless!_

It wasn't priceless. It was stupid! It was also very cruel. The thought that the guy she would give the letter to would do something as underhanded as stealing the letter before she could even give it to him under a stupid identity. It was cowardice. It was heartless. It was an indirect rejection even before she could tell him her feelings. It hurt. It hurt a lot.

_Human morality…. Check. You should have listened to the Eternal Hunger if only something like this would hurt you so much._

_Only something like this?! He rejected me even before I gave him the letter!_She forced herself not to cry. She will not show any weakness.

_Now you admit it.… Anyway, let me give you another perspective! Think about it, why is he doing this?_

_Why bother!?_

_Think about it!_

The violent shout from the voice woke her up from self-induced depression and did what the voice asked.

Why was Zenkichi doing something so roundabout as stealing the letters before the judging could begin? Nekomi could think of several reasons. He is selfish; he didn't want the stress of choosing who was better at writing a love letter.

_Nope, think more!_

He is cruel; he wants to see both Nekomi and Kurokami suffer. As Shiranui said, he is The Devil.

_Puu puu! Think again! And comparing him to The Devil is downplaying it. Kuku, it seems the Eternal Hunger still has some remaining human thought processes._

Nekomi couldn't think of any other reasons except for several more hateful ones.

_Really…. Okay, I'll give you a clue. Remember what he said before the promise?_

Yes, she remembered. He said he was normal, that everything, anything, regardless of how amazing or bizarre, was normal to him. He was the manifestation of what she hated the most.

_See? What do you think?_

Nekomi clicked her tongue, her pain morphing into self-righteous anger.

_Damn, is he really this obsessed with maintaining normalcy?_

_Familiar, isn't it…?_

_Shut up._

She tried to take a step, but her body stiffened to a halt as though it was held by a very strong force.

_This is your last chance; you can still escape the chaotic future that is sure to engulf your life if you back out now. You can still forget._

_I have to get back the letter._

_I'll be honest, I don't know whether you will have a happy ending or not. However, of this I'm sure, in the end, you will cease to be human, inside and out._

_I don't care._

_Really?_

_Fuck being normal!_

_Well said!_

So with fire in her eyes, Nekomi ran towards their direction, intent of getting her claws behind the ridiculous development.

-000-

It was a chase! And a funny one at that!

At the top of Hakoniwa's Clock Tower, sitting on a ledge thirteen floors high was Hansode Shiranui, surrounded by buckets and buckets of popcorn of different flavors while eating a bucket full of cheese-flavored corn delights. Dumping fistfuls of the puffy corn munchies into her mouth, she watched the chase between Zenkichi and the two girls of the Student Council.

The blue-garbed sentai reject was roof hopping on club halls and jumping through trees while the little princess and the cat were in pursuit on the ground, circling all around Hakoniwa Academy.

It was a curios sight with the Kurokami heir somehow in some super saiyan mode — it was unimaginative to be honest— her hair glowing red, her run making dust clouds behind her, and some other stuff Hansode didn't want to describe. Zenkichi stealing her love letter must have bunched up her panties hard. Hansode wondered what the princess' reaction would be if it was revealed it was her precious childhood friend who stole her letter in the first place.

Hansode burst out an unladylike laugh, spraying popcorn.

The cat on the hand, Hansode was actually surprised Nabeshima never backed out in writing the letter. Does this mean that Nabeshima was an alright candidate? Heck no! But she sure has potential. Hansode had to be honest; she doesn't dislike the senior girl. However, she doesn't like her either.

On with the chase, the cat called out to Kurokami, most likely to plan for intercepting Zenkichi. However, the little princess did not stop, too blinded by rage to hear the kitty's shouts. Then Catty Mckitty suddenly increased her speed, her strides reminiscent of a cheetah, only on two legs, and lunged at Kurokami like a lioness attacking her prey. The little princess almost punched Nabeshima, but it seems the rage did not take her over entirely as she realized who stopped her. Then they talked, yelling and whispering, almost devolving into a fight, but both relented with each other and seemed to agree on something. As they stood, they nodded to one another and went in separate directions, Kurokami to Zenkichi's direction while Nabeshima went and hid in the shadows of a nearby club hall. It looks as though they decided on a simple pincer maneuver.

Of course, the Blue Ninja, aka Zenkichi in a stupid blue ninja reject costume, never stopped and leaped and ran as though his life depended on it. It would have worked if not for the president learning the skill he was using to make ninja jumps possible, a skill called [Light Feet].

[Light Feet] was one of his 108 skills that were used as components for the _Japa Mala_ seal. According to some old scrolls from the Kugurugi family vault, [Light feet], or _Ninpō: Ashigaru_according to the texts, was one of the secret ninja skills of the extinct Maniwa Ninja Corps, which can make the user weightless. However, it was more like the skill gives the user the ability to control his or her weight, making some superhuman feats possible even if one doesn't have the physical capabilities, like Zenkichi's current state as an example. And when someone with Kurokami capabilities learn the skill, well, the outcome was obvious, as Medaka was soon leaping like Superman, overtaking the ninja wannabe.

So to avoid the enraged Kurokami, Zenkichi, in a burst of speed, disappeared, appearing at the rooftop of a building far from the angry president.

Dumping an entire bucket of caramel glazed popcorn into her mouth, Hansode concluded that he used another of the seal skills, [Accel Point], a skill that accelerates the user from a single point to another, somewhat similar to a very weak teleportation skill to a normal human's eye.

Still, before Zenkichi could even use his skill again, someone lunged at him from behind. It was the stalking expert, who was now grappling the ninja garbed strawberry-blonde with both arms and feet.

The chase was finally starting to get exciting when she sensed someone coming, climbing the tower, which she deduced would most likely want to watch the ensuing ninja pursuit. Not in the mood to entertain some mortal or anyone for that matter, she left with her food, disappearing like a mirage.

-000-

Oh, the things he does for _Normalcy_.

Zenkichi inwardly sighed as Nabeshima caught him, admiring her extreme stalking skills while doing so. He expected the girls catching him and it seemed Medaka even managed to learn [Light Step] while in pursuit. Good.

Then again, he also knew how to escape. He saw that his childhood friend would still take some time getting to his position, thus, he shifted his body, feeling several round things on his pocket. Slowly, he inched his fingers towards it.

"Oya, what's this?" Nabeshima suddenly said as she tightened her hold on his body, preventing him from any further movements."Trying to escape, eh."

"I am the Blue Ninja! Escaping from situations such as this is in my repertoire!" he said as loud as he can making Nabeshima hiss beside his right ear.

"Tone down your voice, will you!"

"Nonsense!"

"Stop what?"

"That!"

"That what!?"

Nabeshima's reply was choking the air out of him.

"I know it's you, Zenkichi," she whispered, weakening her choke to a level in which he could speak.

Well, that confirms it: Shiranui did warn her about his intervention. Zenkichi couldn't help but smile at that from behind his mask.

"Zenkichi? I am not this handsome fellow you are whispering about, my catty adversary! However, I would like to meet him, for he sounds like a very outstanding guy!"

The secretary girl only groaned.

"Say, could you unhand me, mein Fräulein?"

"No. In case you forgot, you stole my love letter for you!"

"Please?"

"No."

"Oh well, at least this humble ninja tried. Now then! Behold! For I will now do my dastardly awesome escape!"

Zenkichi then closed his one empty hand and felt one pellet object manifest from nothing inside it. He quickly threw it at the roof they were standing on, just in time for Medaka to land beside them, making Nabeshima panic. The pellet violently burst into a cloud of smoke, enveloping the three of them. Zenkichi used the chance to make himself disappear by using one of his skills [Hammer Space], a skill that gives him access to an empty reality, sinking into a black void of nothingness and escaping the green-haired senior's grasp in less than second.

However, before disappearing, he managed to whisper some words to Nabeshima.

"The street where you ambushed me, we'll talk."

-000-

Medaka, still in her [Proof of One's Worth # 4: War God Mode], just ignored the thick smoke and took a large breath of air. She then blew the smoke away, revealing her coughing secretary with the so-called blue ninja gone from her grasps.

"Where is he?"

"He escaped, used some advanced ninja nonsense."

Medaka clicked her tongue in irritation.

"The letters?"

"He still has them."

"So he's gone?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

The letter that she had written, the first thing that she had worked hard for, was now gone; stolen by some unknown ninja. Is this failure feels like? It hurt. It hurt so much. Medaka felt a tear fall from her right eye as her body returned to normal.

"H-hey, why are you crying?" she heard her secretary say.

Medaka never replied as the tears continued to fall.

Nabeshima was clearly unsure of how to approach the situation. However, after the secretary sighed and mumbled some words, the green-haired eye-patched girl hugged her.

"It's your first love letter, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"You worked hard on it?"

"Yes."

"That blue ninja is really a bastard for stealing the letters we worked hard on."

"Yes, yes he is."

"Don't worry. It isn't the end, we can still make another."

"But the challenge..."

"Don't worry about the challenge. I don't think it was right in the first lace, making a contest about our feelings."

"Really?"

"Yup! Love is very special, so the confession should be treated the same. So for what I did, sorry."

Medaka took in her secretary's words, her depression easing to tolerable levels. Her tears had now stopped falling. Yes, love is very special and to be treated in reverence. Love should not be callously declared for it is an expression of a person's innermost feelings.

It was then that she understood what Zenkichi felt when she kissed all her classmates back when they first started elementary school. He must have felt what she was feeling currently. However, he still stayed by her side, still smiling, still caring.

Yes, she decided, she will wait until an opportune time comes. Zenkichi Hitoyoshi will be the recipient of her overwhelming love.

"I am grateful for the support, Secretary Nabeshima. However, what about you? Are you alright?"

The eye-patched girl gave her a smile. "Don't worry about me, remember, I'm a third year, I have some experience with such things."

"A love letter you had written in the past was also stolen?"

"What? No! Just the feeling of disappointment. You know, that my efforts were useless in the end." The eye-patched girl smiled wistfully.

"Ahh, is that so, understood."

Experience was definitely a precious resource if it could make her secretary strong in such a situation.

"You're okay now?" Nabeshima let go of the hug, her cheeks red.

"Yes, thanks to you. Even though we had an unpleasant first meeting, you still comforted me."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

"Friends?"

"Sure, with what happened to us? It definitely makes us comrades, in a sort of bizarre situational way."

"Yes, friends." Medaka beamed at her new friend.

She had to admit, she was really lucky to have Nekomi Nabeshima as a secretary, and as an important friend.

-000-

Myouri Unzen just finished watching a very ridiculous chase between two girls and a ninja wannabe played live on a very large television screen, sitting comfortably on a luxurious sofa as though he owned it while his cup of tea sat untouched on the low table. Several smaller screens composed the large LED screen, each showing a live feed from the CCTVs inside Hakoniwa.

"What do you think?" the old academy chairman with the ahoge said with a smile on his wrinkly face, while sitting on an identical sofa in front of Myouri. He was wearing his usual purple hakama beneath his golden vest, making him more distinguished. The low table separated them, the old man's tea half-full and cooling slowly.

Myouri was intrigued, three people with abnormalities, all qualified Thirteen Party candidates and members of the current Student Council no less. Not that they were that amazing, except for one, in comparison to what he had and had seen with the other members of the party.

"Is this the reason why you stopped me from exacting justice on them?" Myouri asked as he balanced three superballs with each other in his index finger. If the school chairman did not stop him, the Student Council would've already been corpses on the floor. Myouri grinned viciously. Using the school grounds as a playground? Unforgivable. "I really don't see what's so special about them. They're just some run-of-the-mill Abnormals."

"Is that so…?" Hakama opened his usually closed eyes slightly, showing inky black pupils that would have intimidated a normal man. "Then you don't understand."

"What's to understand?"

"You should have noticed…. Each of them has several skills."

Now this was something that peaked Myouri's interest, if only a bit.

"Really?" he drawled out. "Not that it's that unique. Being an Abnormal is not about the skill, it's about the mentality."

"I couldn't agree more. However, don't you think having multiple skills is interesting?"

"If you say so," Myouri said, bored.

The old man closed his eyes shut again, returning to his congenial old man persona. "Let's take Nekomi Nabeshima for example."

On the large LED television, one screen showed her profile picture before she had the eye-patch with the others showing the replay of her capabilities as judo practitioner and the chase scene that he had just witnessed.

"Wait, as far as I can remember, she's only a Special, and a very low tier one at that," Myouri said, remembering hearing about her from the few sports enthusiasts within the Public Morals Committee.

"Let's just say she has awakened and leave it at that."

The old man was a cryptic bastard, and Myouri was used to it.

However, when he thought about it, the Nabeshima's were a family of famous archeologists ever since the last Russo-Japanese War. The family was so obsessed with archeology that most of their abnormalities were discovery and extrasensory types useful for their field of specialty. He then remembered some rumors about a couple from the Nabeshima line not having any offspring so they adopted some kid with amnesia from Egypt. Weird, the third year girl didn't look like an Egyptian.

Awakened memories?

Myouri scoffed, that sounded like some bad plot from a shitty fan fiction. Then again, he sometimes thought that life was just a bad piece of fiction.

"Well, seeing as who her adopted parents are, maybe it's not that surprising," Myouri said.

"Well, let me continue. Let's see, as far as the video goes, she can reach speeds no human, Normal or Special, could attain and has extreme stealth capabilities."

"Keke, just like a hunter… or a cat in her case."

"Yes, but I think a lioness would be much more appropriate. Anyway, as you can infer, the video shows she has two separate Abnormalities."

"Or maybe she only had one where she's similar to a feline. Or maybe she's not an Abnormal but just an animal-like Special like that Wild Child from the Exercise Committee."

"Hmmm, maybe, maybe." Hakama grinned as he nodded, obviously knowing more. "Then what about the next one, Medaka Kurokami."

The screens changed what they were showing; now playing videos of the Kurokami heir showing her talents. Myouri had to appreciate her sense of style even if they were against the school's rules, particularly how her modified uniform complimented her large breasts. He always admired a good pair of breasts.

"She's the Kurokami Zaibatsu heir and its future president, such extraordinary talent is to be expected."

"Hmm, it seems there's no question of her validity, very well, then what about the next one."

The large television screens changed again, showing next an unremarkable looking male student with strawberry-blonde hair accompanied by the chase replay and some information about him. Myouri could not help but notice how average he was, from his looks to his grades… everything was average; everything was normal, too normal, even. The hair on the back of his neck stood. However, he ignored it, deciding it was just some reaction to the air-conditioned room.

"Is he supposed to be that stupid ninja?"

"Yes."

"Meh, he's just a wannabe, a very stupid one at that. The party's own ninja could kill him instantly."

Hakama's grin widened. "Let me tell you a secret, he's not even an Abnormal."

"Huh?" Not an Abnormal? With the capability of jumping inhumanely high, high-speed acceleration, and even teleporting, that Hitoyoshi person couldn't be described as anything but Abnormal.

"However, he's the most dangerous of the three. I could even confidently say that if the whole Thirteen Party would go against him, he would win."

"Bullshit." Myouri growled. A single human against the Thirteen Party? Preposterous!

"You'll see in the next few days. Just promise me that you and your committee won't attack the council until I say so." Hakama gave Myouri a grandfatherly smile.

"And if I don't."

"Then you can search for another zaibatsu to take your family in."

Oh how Myouri hated the conniving rotten old man.

Then a thought came to him. Maybe he could tell Youka about this Hitoyoshi individual, gain another opinion, information and all that. Myouri had to be honest, the lanky first-year's normalcy was very foreboding…. He had to be sure.

"Then what about the others?"

The old man picked his cup of tea, taking several silent sips. He then let out a sigh. "Basing from your opinion, they would not even care. Leave them be until I could gather more evidence to convince them. I only asked for your presence because you're the one who's most likely to attack the Council."

"You really know me, old man."

"I'm just making it so that you won't be killed by someone."

"Me, killed?"

"You are not the only monster child currently inside the academy, Myouri Unzen."

"Really?" Now this peaked Myouri's interest. Who could it be?

-000-

Nekomi never expected to be friends with Medaka Kurokami. Casual acquaintances? Yes. But actual friends? Nope, never in her wildest dreams did she think of the possibility. Yet, here she was, after school, going to the promised meeting place, readying herself to tear Zenkichi a new one for hurting both her and her friend, Medaka.

Yes, she was calling the Kurokami girl by her first name now. Really… something must be wrong with her if she was now treating a super genius as a friend.

_Wow, wow! Too much tsundere even for me!_

Nekomi gritted her teeth. The voice was back again. And here she thought it disappeared entirely when it didn't even speak an entire day after the chase.

_It was boring!_

Speaking of her day, classes went as usual. She was even surprised when the Public Morals Committee did nothing against the Council after the stunt they pulled. However, the awkwardness was almost too much for her when council work started after class with Hitoyoshi and Medaka acting normally as though the chase never happened. Nekomi had even doubted it happened in the first place.

It was only thanks to Medaka telling the seemingly oblivious strawberry-blonde she was sorry about the challenge not happening that Nekomi realized that the chase actually happened. Hitoyoshi, surprisingly good actor that he is, just broke into a sigh and promised the president that he would help her next time. Of course, Nekomi kept glaring at him while he was spouting his lies.

It was already dark when she arrived at the designated place and saw him leaning on the pole under the street light.

"Ah, you came."

She never replied. Instead, she crossed her arms over her chest, opting to glower at him, hoping that the liar would combust spontaneously into ash.

"Yeah…. How do I explain this…?"

"I don't need your explanation, Hitoyoshi."

He gulped as he sweated under the summer night.

"I know what your reasons are… and you know what? I find them very stupid."

Hitoyoshi smacked his lips, brushing his hair with his hands. For that moment, Nekomi thought he looked strikingly scary, his inherent nervousness gone.

He really was very good with acting.

"You shouldn't diss other people's views, Nabeshima-senpai."

However, even if he really was the ultimate evil, she wouldn't relent as her and Medaka's feelings were on the line.

"So you go and hurt me and Medaka just because of this… this… sense of normality of yours?"

"I really don't want to blame anyone, but you now it's your fault right?"

Well, what he said was half of the truth.

"Or maybe I should ask that other voice in your head?" he suddenly added, surprising her.

"You know?"

He never answered, only standing up straight while fixing his uniform.

"Hey, cat, come out and tell me you're sorry for this mess you've caused."

Nekomi suddenly felt her body stiffen… and then… her mouth moved on its own, her own voice coming out. "Aww, you're really angry aren't you?"

"Nope! Just a bit ticked off. Trust me; you won't like the consequences of my anger."

"Kuku, I know."

It was quite fascinating how her body moved and talked on its own. It was as if she floating in a metaphysical sense and her body was moving in automatic. Somehow, her mind was relaxed, the normally unnoticeable strain of controlling her own body's motor skills now gone. In other words, it was as if she's dreaming.

"If you know, then apologize."

"Very well, as you wish." Her body then lowered and prostrated itself before him like a servant before her lord. But instead of disgust and loss of pride, Nekomi felt elation close to religious ecstasy. It was both perturbing and exciting in a very sexual sense, her body tingling, particularly her lower regions. Yes, it was very disturbing. "To he who made and thereafter rested, I humbly prostrate myself and ask his holiest and most blasphemous to bestow upon this unworthy being your blessed and blighted forgiveness."

"Ugh, this is too much. I just wanted you to say sorry."

Her body then stood up and smiled lustfully at him, her hips swaying. "Why didn't you say so?"

Hitoyoshi sighed and scratched the back of his head, back to his usual demeanor. "So you're sorry?"

"Yup, I'm very sorry." Her body then bowed.

"Well, that's good."

As sudden as it was gone, the feeling of her body was back. Nekomi then opened and closed her hand, jumping up and down to familiarize herself with her body again.

She also noticed that she didn't even feel angry of the sudden possession…. What was happening to her?

"That's the second time that happened."

"Hmm, yeah." The seemingly lanky teenager's eyes followed her jumping, up and down, as he scratched his chin.

"Well, is that all?" She asked twisting her upper body left and right.

"Not yet, there's one thing I want to ask you."

"Nope, not gon'na happen. I'm entitled to tear you a new hole with what you did to me and Medaka." Nekomi then did jumping jacks, enjoying how his eyes followed her every movement.

"H-hey, let's not be hasty here…" Zenkichi was visibly nervous. Was it another act? Maybe… and maybe not. He was very hard to figure out.

"You stole the love letters that we wrote, Hitoyoshi-kun. That is not something I could easily forgive." She then did a back flip, letting her skirt flip to reveal her lacy black panties. She then landed perfectly, patting her skirt, enjoying how flabbergasted the general affairs manager was with his bleeding nose — it seemed such an anime cliché thing does happen in real life.

"Can you, you know, just forget about it?" He said as he licked his lips and some of blood that came from his nose. Noticing his red problem, he took a black cloth from nowhere and rubbed his nose clean. The cloth then disappeared after he finished.

"Want me tell Medaka-chan that it was you that stole the letter? Hmm, I wonder what she will do to you…." Nekomi was sure Medaka will do lot of things, and not one of them will feel good.

His face whitened. "Okay, okay, you win!" Two familiar letters suddenly appeared on his hand, startling her a bit. He then handed them to her. "Here are the letters! But please, don't continue with that challenge of yours! It scares the shit out of me!"

Nekomi could not help but be impressed; he really seemed like a low-key villain for a moment there. "Sometimes I wonder whether you're the typical shounen protagonist or the harem lead's loser friend…."

"Shounen? Harem what?"

She ignored his obliviousness. "Anyway, you still owe me, Hitoyoshi-kun. What's stopping me from telling Medaka about this?"

And then he grinned, his early demeanor entirely absent.

Before Nekomi could even dodge, Hitoyoshi swiftly reached out his right hand and touched her right cheek. He then proceeded to rub his hands up and down gently from her forehead to her chin repeatedly, eliciting involuntary mewls from her lips. He then went and reached behind her right ear, softly scratching behind it while tickling some stands of her hair. It was very pleasurable.

"Nya, right there…" he purred. She closed her eyes in delight, her cheeks flaming hot. "Unya, yes! Yes! Ye~s! Do me more, Hitoyoshi-kun!"

Why was she angry again?

And then it stopped. Nekomi couldn't help but whimper at the lost and much missed sensation.

Wait! What?

"What the fuck did you do to me?" Instead of a threatening growl, her crass question ended up sounding like a petulant whine.

Hitoyoshi only widened his grin. "You didn't like it?"

"Well… but…." Nekomi could not help but be honest. It was that good. "I did not dislike it, but why the hell did it felt like that?"

"Don't ask me; ask that voice in your head."

Nekomi shook her head. After the short possession of her body to apologize, the voice wasn't heard again…. Why? Nekomi was curious.

"Gone eh…." He smiled, delighted at something. "Well, you can ask the voice next time, I'm sure it's still there."

"Wait, why can't you tell me?"

"This is your journey, Nekomi Nabeshima. If I interfere, it would lose its purpose."

"Cryptic much?"

He shrugged. "Protocols..." He then mumbled something about 'wondering' and 'making them', but Nekomi wasn't really sure even with her sharp hearing.

"But really, my own journey, what is this, some role-playing game?"

"It's life, not a game. Others did warn you, if you step on this path, backing out would be next to impossible. But you know what? I'm really proud of you." Hitoyoshi gave her a very gentle smile, tightening her chest, her heart beat increasing its pace.

So he knew about both Shiranui and the voice's warnings. Curious. Still….

"Okay, seriously, you're weirding me out."

He placed a hand to the back of his head and bowed. "Sorry, but really, I'm glad you're here."

Nekomi sighed. "Is this some long-winded and unusual way of saying that you want forgiveness?"

"Yes, please." He bowed again.

"Very well." Nekomi grinned, swiping her extended nails to claw out his face.

Hitoyoshi's screams echoed under the summer night.

"Apology accepted."

Still, Nekomi could not help but be curious. What was the question he wanted to ask her?

-000-

Notes:

Well, third chapter done, and it's not about the swim meet! Yep, I'm definitely changing a lot of things though some will still remain the same. Oh, and yes, I'm still doing a past arc like Summer Story from Normal, so don't worry about that. And for story stability, don't worry, I've already had the whole thing planned out from the beginning to end, the antagonist, the reasons of each characters actions, conflicts and some world building, though it could change as new ideas come to me.

Oh, and to answer some of your questions, yes, I've already read Those Who Love Monsters by gabriel blessing a few years back and gave me the idea of the groundwork for this fic. However, the Cthulu Mythos aspect came to me when I was mulling about this fics plot while commuting home from my university two years ago. Still, thank you gabriel blessing for your work and inspiring me to write this story.

Remember, feedbacks are much appreciated. Thank you for reading and good day.


	7. Arc 1: Interlude 4

21st Century Schizoid Man

Written By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction. I do not own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. To those that have read Normal, this is a rewrite under a different title with the same story structure but different character takes, scenes, and general plot. Also, this story will be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Interlude 4: Medaka Lunch

It was the end of the world.

Well, not really…

But who would have thought that Medaka Kurokami would ask him to join her for lunch? Definitely not him.

It was just the end of the morning classes, the bell ringing loudly. Zenkichi was pulling out a list of numbers to order take-out when Medaka suddenly entered the Class 1 room, silencing the chatter of his classmates and making Shiranui's eyes narrow to the point she was squinting.

However, instead of walking towards him, his buxom president went beeline for his blue-haired friend.

"Miss Shiranui, can I ask you to let me have Zenkichi for lunch? I have something to ask of him."

Zenkichi alternated his look from Medaka and Shiranui, sweating a bit. Their stare-off was as intense as watching a women's mud wrestling match with all the grabbing and stuff. What was going to happen next?

By the way, women's wrestling matches are super interesting so please don't judge him.

Shiranui, a donut in her mouth, continued to squint at the purple-haired girl, twitching a bit. "How much?"

Medaka stared at her for a moment and then nodded to herself, understanding something.

"A box from Mister Donut," his childhood friend said with a straight face.

"Ten boxes," Shiranui said as her eyes returned to normal, smiling.

"I'm only borrowing him for lunch. Four boxes."

"But you have him as a member of the Student Council. Eight boxes."

"He's my childhood friend. It's my right to ask him to join me for lunch. Five boxes."

"Well, you have a point there. However, you do know he always eats with me during lunch, right? Seven. That's my bottom price."

"I would pay more, but time is running. Six boxes."

The blue-haired girl with the ahoge rubbed her hands, palm-to-palm, in glee. "Hmm, very well, six boxes it is."

Medaka then pulled out her cell phone and called, while Shiranui nodded in approval. Somehow, Zenkichi felt like he was an object being sold in a pawnshop.

As Medaka finished her call, she grabbed his hand and dragged him unceremoniously with her.

"Medaka-chan!"

"No time for talk, Zenkichi, we only have an hour."

"Bring him back in one piece, okay?" He heard his best friend that sold him like an old trinket shout as they left the classroom. He could only hope she would be all right, as it was that time in her cycle again. He was really glad he had already preempted it.

Stuck on worrying about his eternally hungry best friend, he never realized until he was sitting on a table that they had already arrived in the cafeteria, with Medaka sitting in front of him with several bowls of steaming hot ramen and tonkatsu, some beef bowls, and a couple of yakisoba plates. In addition, the longhaired girl was eating as fast as possible. It was reminiscent of Shiranui's voracious appetite, toned down to superhuman levels and done in a very refined manner.

For a several minutes, he just watched Medaka eat. He could definitely say that it was quite fascinating how a girl with a body like hers could eat such a large amount of food. Then again, she was one of a kind, a very special human with a very special body — he wasn't talking about her sexiness, but it sure does count — and to support such a body, she has to eat more than normal to keep with up with her extreme calorie needs.

Placing the empty plate on the table, she regaled him with her red eyes making him gulp. "Why aren't you eating, Zenkichi? I ordered food for the both of us."

"Ah… is that right…. Thanks. Can I have a beef bowl, please?"

Nodding in approval with her stern expression, she handed him what he asked, which he gratefully took with another thank you. He had to admit, having lunch with Medaka sure was different to his usual lunch with Shiranui.

It was a silent lunch for the most part, as Medaka just kept eating while Zenkichi did not know what topic they should discuss to liven up things. He did try to start a conversation several times with normal topics like the weather, the cafeteria food, and other mundane stuff. Sadly, he failed repeatedly, only garnering short answers like "yes" and "it's alright". However, he did notice how Medaka kept glancing at him, seemingly on the verge of telling him something but ultimately does the opposite and only continued eating her food.

Suddenly, a voice called out to them.

"Oh? Can I join you guys?"

It was Nabeshima with a fried fish, rice and miso soup combo in her tray, smiling as her one visible eye alternated between them, settling for Medaka in the end. His childhood friend's sternness somewhat lessened as she released an almost unnoticeable sigh, beaming as she nodded at the eye-patched girl.

The green-haired girl winked at the buxom president and sat beside her.

Thus, the impromptu lunch between the current members of the Student Council began.

"Have you guys heard yet? It seemed Yuubaru-kun had shaken the art world with his paintings," Nabeshima began, after chewing the fried fish's head.

"Oh? I thought it was a failure being that the theme was 'Beach Goddess'," Medaka said, stopping midway on her third beef bowl. "Most of them are quite abstract."

"Well, the paintings are still us in swim wear so it was qualified. They sure did garner much attention, quite embarrassing really, with some of the Art Club members zealously asking me to model for them."

"The paintings sure were… unique."

The eye-patched girl stole a glance at him, all the while smiling her Cheshire smile. "Unique is an understatement, Medaka-chan."

Alternating his eyes between the two girls, a beef bowl in his left hand and a pair of chopsticks in his right while munching on the saucy beef and rice goodness, Zenkichi kept silent as he remembered a particular request that almost made him choke a certain eccentric artist.

Just several days after the horrifying love letter incident, a freshman of Class 12 named Kizashi Yuubaru — he was a youthful guy with short black hair and a homely but pretty enough face that made him look like a girl if not for his uniform — came to ask the council for models for his artwork. It turned out that he entered an art contest — he was not a member of the Art Club, just affiliated with them — with the theme of "Beach Goddess". Medaka volunteered after glancing at Zenkichi, who was watering the flowerpots. Nabeshima only continued with her council work, ignoring the discussion as she signed some papers.

They went to the Art Club room after the green-haired girl finished with her secretary work, Yuubaru leading the way. As they arrived, the purple-haired girl then grabbed her uniform. With flourish, she took it off in one move, and in a flash, changed into a very appealing swimsuit that complemented her long hair. She then posed like a Mister Universe contestant, as she flexed her biceps, which emphasized her large chest. Zenkichi couldn't help but shake his head. The pose was good, but if only she posed like those gravure models….

He also could not help but inch away from the shorthaired third year beside him, who was all smiles. He was sensing something bad from her and something very bad for him, but before he could escape, the erstwhile Judo Captain grabbed his hand so hard that it almost broke. To be honest, he still had nightmares from the mauling he had gotten from her that particular night.

Anyway, it turned out the Yuubaru was an extremely talented artist with how fast he finished. Zenkichi was even sure the black-haired guy had his eyes closed as he did the painting.

Everyone then huddled to get a closer look at the painting. The result made him wide-eyed, the blood on his face draining as his body felt cold.

The whole canvas was just black, nothing but darkness. However, Medaka's silhouette was still discernible, wispy, and almost otherworldly, the darkness enveloping her form accentuating her beauty… like a goddess.

Nabeshima wore the same expression, though tinted with confusion. Zenkichi thanked the small miracle that the voice in her head did not know what the painting actually was, or it knew but did not tell. Either way, the important thing was that the green-haired girl did not know the relevance of the painting. Still, she kept looking at him, her curiosity showing on her pretty face. He never answered her queries.

Medaka, on the other hand, was just plain confused, but then chalked it up as some unique artistic approach by Yuubaru, praising him. The artist was quite ecstatic with the result and was really thankful for Medaka's help.

Then the eye-patched girl did something that made him choke on his own spit.

She decided to try modeling for another painting.

Medaka wholeheartedly agreed, with Yuubaru eagerly nodding at the prospect of another work.

Even then, Zenkichi remained silent, acting his best as though nothing unusual was happening. He even admired Nabeshima's fighter look with her judo uniform as an impromptu coat over her sporty swimsuit with her black belt on her naked waist. He had to be honest, he found the green-haired secretary hot in her outfit.

Just as expected, the eccentric artist finished in a flash, with very interesting results. The painting was of Nabeshima posing as though she was about to grapple someone surrounded by several feline like beasts and black cats with an old marble background under a dim yellow light, the walls full of alien writings and familiar hieroglyphics. However, that was not all, as her eyes were disturbingly yellow and catlike, her eye-patch gone, the irises were slits sharp as a Damascus blade. Some of her hair — which was snow-white in the painting — was clumping, forming like cat ears on the top of her head, her actual ears pointy and almost elfin-like, her skin beautifully bronze, and her wide challenging smile showing cat-like fangs. Similar to Medaka's painting; it also had the same unearthly feeling to it. Still, at least it looked like a fetishistic cosplay painting at first glance, which was a problem in its own right.

The green-haired girl narrowed her one visible eye as she stared at the painting while giving him inquiring looks from time to time. She then turned her attention fully at him, which only meant that the voice never told her what the painting actually meant. Good, the cat was learning. Even if Nabeshima had suspicions on what exactly was happening to her, Zenkichi was sure she was still far from the truth.

Medaka just nodded in approval while the painter was becoming more ecstatic with how the painting turned out.

Zenkichi inwardly thanked his lucky stars that Shiranui was not there… which was a very stupid thing to do since as soon as he finished the thought, the blue-haired girl dashed through the room's door, asking him for food, which was her way of telling him that she would go home with him that day.

Yuubaru, in an artistic high, suddenly pounced on his best friend, somehow managing to change her into a school swimsuit, colloquially named as sukumizu, with her name already sewn on it in a flash. Zenkichi would have been amazed at the eccentric artist managing to do such a feat to Shiranui if not for the blue-eyed girl flashing him a cute grin.

That was when he realized, his best friend knew about the request and Yuubaru's unique talent, and for the fun of witnessing his distress, she got onboard the bandwagon of modeling for the artist's paintings.

Medaka agreed with her usual stern expression while Nabeshima, her usual curiosity very much showing on her face, nodded.

The result actually made his heart stop.

It was a very sexy woman who had some resemblance to Shiranui, smiling lustfully at them, the school swimsuit gone, her body naked as the day she was born with the key parts tastefully covered by unidentifiable black, abstract-like, alien squiggly things, which also surrounded her form, filling up the once empty canvas.

The painting sure did shock the council girls while Shiranui gave him a peace sign.

Still, in the end, nothing extraordinary happened, all normal, which was great. He even managed to evade the girls' beseeching eyes for him to try modeling for a painting. He was normal after all, and just the thought of witnessing… whatever. Though Nabeshima did try to get some answers from him, he still managed evade her questions, however, evading the clawing that happened after was another question.

Zenkichi touched his cheek, feeling phantom pains from the painful memory.

"Hey, Medaka-chan, do you think those paintings meant something?" asked the eye-patched secretary as she nibbled on a fish bone.

"I think so. However, with the painter not even knowing the meaning behind them, we will never know," the scantily clad president said with her usual serious voice as she finished a plate of yakisoba.

Zenkichi could only conclude one thing about Kizashi Yuubaru: the artist somehow had the ability to get a glimpse of the potential and true nature of those he paints. Harmless until the eccentric painter paints the wrong person. The effeminate guy was really lucky. Still, he did ask Shiranui to keep tabs on Yuubaru and his paintings, just in case.

Just as the short conversation about the modeling request finished, silence descended on them as they continued to eat their lunch. Thankfully, Nabeshima was there to save the day.

"Say, have you guys heard of the group Kiyoterae?"

"What's that?" Medaka asked after silently slurping a mouthful of ramen noodles.

"Well, in a way, they are part all-girl band and part idol group that's been all the talk recently."

"Hmm, are they any good?"

"Personally, I really like them, especially their live concerts." Zenkichi entered the conversation, glad for the harmless topic at hand.

"Hooh, so you've seen them perform live, Zenkichi-kun?" Nabeshima grinned wide.

"I do go out sometimes, you know. I'm a normal guy with normal interests."

"So you've seen the lead flashing her bits on stage?" The eye-patched girl's grin became wider.

"Wait, what are you implying, Nabeshima-senpai?"

"What is Zenkichi talking about, Secretary Nekomi?" Medaka asked.

Still grinning, the green-haired girl turned her attention to the purple-haired girl beside her. "Well, you see, their lead, Saki Sukinasaki, is famous for flashing her top during her concerts." She was clearly expecting some reaction.

However, her expectations came to naught as the current Student Council President only nodded. "Oh? Okay."

"Medaka-chan, Zenkichi watches these live concerts…. Don't you feel a bit peeved?" Nabeshima persevered.

Nevertheless, her efforts were in vain, as the red-eyed girl only stared at the now twitching girl. "Why? As far as I can tell, that lead singer that you're talking about was just expressing herself, nothing lewd behind it."

Nabeshima sighed and relented, nodding to herself. "Well, you've got a point there. However, I don't think Zenkichi feels the same way." But she still kept on her attack, so Zenkichi decided to intervene before he gets a beating again.

"Hey, hey, you don't know that. I do appreciate their music; other things just come as a bonus."

At last, the feline-like girl waved her white flag and shrugged. "Oh, well…. I tried."

"Nabeshima-senpai!"

"Anyway, the group is really rising fast in the music world, even surpassing Baby Metal and the AKB groups in popularity on their genre," Nabeshima added ignoring him.

"What record label is this group under?" Medaka asked; curios about something. If Zenkichi had to guess, she was inquiring whether the girls had some connection to some record companies affiliated with the zaibatsu.

"Hmm, I can't remember. However, I do remember some blog posts about their unknown manager being the president of the record company so it must be fairly new."

Medaka tilted her head and then nodded to herself. Zenkichi already knew that the girl band Kiyoterae wasn't connected to the Kurokami Zaibatsu, however…. He decided not to delve much into it; if it comes then it will come, no reason to fret when the inevitable wasn't there yet.

"It seems the Japanese music industry is entering another shift from idol music," Medaka said, giving her own two-cents about Japan's music industry.

"I think that's for the best, the songs were getting repetitive anyway." Nabeshima nodded in agreement breaking him from his sudden soliloquy.

"Hey, I resent that comment! Idol music is pretty good."

"Nah, I'm more of an alternative rock fan myself." The green-haired secretary said.

"Classical music is the best for me, though I listen to what's popular from time to time." The purple-haired president added her piece in the conversation.

Zenkichi decided not to argue and placed his now empty bowl to the table, his chopsticks clinking on the porcelain. "Meh, to each their own I guess."

"So you only listen to Idol Music?" Nabeshima suddenly asked, curious as a cat.

"Well, I do listen to some western songs, but only if they're catchy enough, which is not much since I don't really understand them," He lied. No need to give them clues about his [Lingual Logic] skill.

"But you do listen to K-pop, right?"

He gave a succinct nod like an English gentleman being asked about his interesting interests. "Well, it's pretty good, like those all-female groups." Definitely and especially those female groups. There's just something different about Korean Idol groups compared to the Japanese ones, and nope, he wasn't talking about how Korean Idols and plastic surgery or the sexual themes within their songs and music videos compared to the cutesy and pure feeling of Japanese Idols. However, being the connoisseur that he is, he religiously listens to both. No need to enter a self-debate on which is better; both are manufactured music anyway. Ugh, just admitting it was painful.

"Ahuh, next you're going to say they're super interesting."

"Well, I can't lie, they sure are super interesting."

"Somehow, Zenkichi, my opinion of you gets lower and lower each passing day." Nabeshima said disdainfully.

"Hey, what's wrong with liking female Idol groups? You understand my point right, Medaka-chan?"

Medaka's reply was a cute pout making him feel guilty for his taste in music. However, Zenkichi relented. Good music was good music regardless of its nature. Liking Idol music is normal, especially the happy tune it emanates. Reminiscent of…. Zenkichi shook his head.

He was grateful when Nabeshima veered the conversation to another direction.

"Zenkichi-kun's taste in music aside, can you imagine actually doing something like flashing your chest on stage? Definitely not me." The purple-eyed girl shivered.

"Hmm, I don't think I could currently do something like that either. Say, do the organizers actually allow something like that?"

He was really glad with Medaka's answer. Just the thought of her flashing her top to a crowd of wild maniacs was enough to give him a heart attack. Still, he had to be honest with himself; he did go to a Kiyoterae concert because of the boob-flashing rumor. However, he did get a much welcome surprise when it turned out their music and performance was actually good.

"Well, as far as I know, western female fans and some artists do flash during such concerts… so maybe it is allowed." The cat-like senior answered the president's query.

"Of course, freedom of expression…."

Anyway, the current topic was still making him uncomfortable.

"To be honest with you girls, I find our current topic a bit… you know… inappropriate."

"Aww, is Zenkichi-kun feeling shy of girls talking about flashing boobies?" Nabeshima leered, leaning on the table enough to give him a tasteful view of the senior's cleavage.

"Nabeshima-senpai!"

"Even if this country is a constitutional monarchy, we are still free to talk on whatever topic we want." Medaka nodded, ignoring her secretary's actions.

"Medaka-chan!" Zenkichi shouted scandalously but then sighed. He just could not win against the two. "At least consider my presence when you girls talk about such things."

"Agreed."

"Sure."

Medaka and Nabeshima continued to talk about mundane things, him silently smiling as he watched them. The girls were definitely friends, close enough to talk about anything, whatever girls talk under the sun. It was a very good outcome of the Love Letter incident, making all the stress and the mauling from Nabeshima worth it.

Then Zenkichi remembered something.

"Umm, Medaka-chan, what is it that you wanted to talk with me about? I'm sure it's not about the modeling request and music."

Medaka suddenly stiffened and then took relaxing breath. "Ah, well, you see... are you two free this Sunday?"

"I think so…." Zenkichi answered while Nabeshima nodded. Maybe it was a council project outside the campus. Oh well, at least he had something to do.

"You see, I have tickets for the new water park opening this coming Sunday. I want you and Secretary Nekomi to accompany me, if it's alright with you two."

"Huh?" Zenkichi poked his ears with his pinky. "Can you repeat it again, Medaka-chan? I don't think I heard you correctly."

"Stop acting oblivious, dumbass!" Nabeshima smacked his head with her knuckled hand.

"But!"

"You don't want to come, Zenkichi?" Medaka asked, her sad face almost breaking his heart.

"No, I'd like to! I'll definitely come!"

"Excellent!" his childhood friend said joyfully, clapping her hands, her earlier sad face gone like the wind.

Yes, the apocalypse is nigh.

For him, at least.


	8. Arc 1: Interlude 5

21st Century Schizoid Man

Written By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction. I do not own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. To those that have read Normal, this is a rewrite under a different title with the same story structure but different character takes, scenes, and general plot. Also, this story will be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Interlude 5: Najimi Tea

Najimi Ajimu, or Ashin'in as she liked to be called, was going about her usual way of passing time: annoying the panties out of a certain newborn Eternal Hunger.

"So the upstart is having lunch alone again, how tragic," she said, her voice mocking, as she floated beside Eternal Hunger, unseen by others, following the seemingly blue-haired girl as she went to the school rooftop. "Are you angry the little princess ruined your precious lunchtime with him?"

"Not now, old hag."

Ooh, the girl was extra feisty. Nevertheless, Najimi was bored so she continued. "You know, I still find his leniency towards you girls to be such an anomaly. In addition, to sell him for just six boxes of donuts; that's just unheard of! I could only imagine the reaction of the others when they hear about this. I'm even sure one of them is already laughing right now."

"Then deal with it. He's not what you thought he was. And I don't care what the others think."

"It's what he wanted, huh."

"Not now!"

Najimi ignored the small blue-haired girl's distress as she placed her hand to her chest and acted out like a girl in an old tragic drama. "It crushes a girl's heart when what she expects is far from the reality."

"If he was aCtuAlly what you expected, you and me wouldn't be here ri)ght noW!"

"Nice point there, Eternal Hunger."

"AgAaaa09in, nOt now, Wi/tC&H!"

The eldritch entity clothed in a childish façade opened the doors leading to the roof top, the wind howling like the Hounds of Tindalos, the sun's overbearing heat seemingly like Cthugha's eternal scorching flames, as it blared its heat to the unsuspecting mortals and some entities under it. The child-like being then reached out her hand, a black portal opening in reality that leads to the unknown, but Najimi was sure that if a normal human had a glimpse through it, their minds would shatter. The diminutive entity then reached into it, pulling out a blanket with a cliché design of checkered red and white, hurriedly but neatly placing it to the floor. The portal then widened, the girl now waist deep into it, pulling out plates, then several normal human foods Najimi never cared to enumerate. Suddenly, the seemingly small girl pulled out a very familiar arm and leg, morphing and wriggling but ever so slowly as though the limbs were in a separate time bubble, not far from the truth as the ascended Shiranui did place them in time stasis to prevent another abomination from being born.

"Is it time already?" Najimi asked the obvious.

"YeA34../H…" Hansode Shiranui said as she sighed, her mouth watering uncontrollably. "HeEy, oLd ha\Ag, do Me a faaVVVvor aNd3 don't l45et anyOne s4ee m5, okAy?"

"It is his will to preserve normalcy, so I don't really have a choice." Najimi snapped her fingers as she used one of her skills, [Dead Lock], that creates a closed space in any size she wants preventing weak creatures from entering and the sound inside from getting out.

"ThANks." Without caring for her audience, the eternally hungry being devoured the appetizers the tons of human food were, her eyes crazed and beast-like with her once blue irises swirling in chaotic and iridescent colors, her expression a macabre of delight.

Najimi only watched her with bored eyes.

It wasn't after the Shiranui girl finished all the human food that some of her sanity came back.

"You know, I suggest that you go make a cult for yourself. That way, you can get actual food."

"I-I cAnNoT…." The Shiranui's voice was grainy, shrill, like millions of insects chattering at the same time. It was the usual loss of control the newly ascended have. It was pathetic. "I MuSt sTAy hE-re, n*ot enough Ti0me%" She then lunged at the wriggling arm, devouring it like a beggar who was deprived of anything resembling food for a month. As she finished, she returned to… well… as he would always say, normal. "I-I'm busy, you know. Can't travel the world…. And it's not like I can create a cult within the academy; Zenkichi would not like it. He doesn't want another Miskatonic." She then reached out for the leg and this time slowly ate it as though it was ambrosia, her small body shivering in delight. For a moment, Najimi felt jealousy.

Still, Najimi relented. It would be unbecoming of her to get jealous. Therefore, to move her chaotic mind out of such thoughts, she decided to give the eternally hungry girl a suggestion. "Well, as far as I know, there are some cults for him in this planet and some others out there, so why not take his place when they try to summon him. Most of those that worship him are deranged maniacs anyway. Give yourself a buffet, it's not like it would be a loss if some of these so-called mad worshippers suddenly disappeared. You might get lucky and get a whole planet full of cultists for you to devour on."

The small-bodied entity stopped herself from enjoying her leggy lunch, clearly thinking about her suggestion. "I'll ask him next time. Still, thank you for the suggestion."

"Of course, anything for a co-wife."

Najimi closed her eyes, the howling winds, the summer heat, and the sound of the Shiranui girl eating through living flesh and bone suddenly gone like a television that was turned off without preamble.

"So, any news about Hansode-sama?"

She opened her eyes, the sensation of restraint returning. She had deactivated her skill [Alibi Block], returning to Shiranui village, within the large mansion, her cup of tea still warm. In front of her was the diminutive leader of Shiranui village, Obi, real name Hanhaba Shiranui, who was wearing her usual dark blue kimono and yellow sash, with a small flower-shaped ornament stuck on it.

"Nothing new, just another hunger attack."

"Oh my," she said in worry, covering her small mouth with her hand, "I hope she did not blow her cover."

"Don't worry, even if she sometimes dislikes it, she will always do what he says."

"Hmm, understandable." Obi nodded.

Suddenly a hand deftly took her cup of tea, refilling it with the warm concoction. The hand then neared the cup to her lips. Najimi took a sip. It was good, as always.

"Hmm, this may be sudden, but why don't you close the Shiranui village with the Hero already gone?"

"Ah, you know it already, Najimi-sama."

"Exposition, my dear Obi, exposition. We must give the readers some bits here and there to keep them interested."

"If you say so," the small blue-haired clan leader said, nodding, her eyes glancing behind her. "As you say, one of the reasons this village was created is now gone. Still, the monstrous hero was only replaced not by one but two worse entities. Thus, our goal of protecting this world still stands, albeit less direct."

Najimi grinned. "Aren't you glad he's benevolent?"

"In a way."

"Not that you could do anything, anyway."

"There's still the _Japa Mala_ seal."

"It only worked because he wanted it, and even then, it was only because I helped."

The child-like leader of Shiranui village sighed. "I still don't understand… who is he really? I only know that he's powerful enough for you to defer to him."

"Ah, that would be telling. Can't ruin it for the readers."

"Regardless, at the very least, we don't have to sacrifice one of our own to keep two such monsters docile."

"Yup, in exchange of one…." Najimi clicked her tongue in distaste. "Ah sorry, in exchange of two lives, all is well."

Obi narrowed her blue eyes at her. "It was not my design for their journey to end like that."

"Yep, we can blame a certain sis-con man for that."

"I should have expected something like that happening. We knew he was still alive; we even did jobs for him. It was presumptuous to think that he would not touch her."

"Plot is like that. It curves to the unexpected, and sometimes it gets railroaded." Najimi tried to move her body, but as expected, it was still impossible. Damn rusty screws! "Too bad I'm like this; I could only help as much as my sealed self could do."

"Understandable. And it's not as though revenge was not administered." Obi frowned as her small body shook.

Najimi shivered at the memory. He could be monstrously, unthinkably cruel if he wanted to.

The Shiranui leader took a breath, relaxing herself. "Can I ask about the Kurokami heir? How is she?"

"She made a friend."

"Who is it?"

"Interested are we? Well, I'll tell you. It's the adopted Nabeshima."

"Oh," Obi tilted her head, confused. "That unremarkable girl? That's a surprise." Then, suddenly, the Shiranui leader widened her eyes. "Egypt…. She's one of you…."

"Close but not quite." Najimi smiled knowingly at her. "Crazy isn't it? It's like an untalented amateur author couldn't even make her interesting with her original background so he decided to invent some contrived subplot to make her more involved in the story. Ha! Pathetic!"

The diminutive woman with an appearance belying her actual age just stared at her. "My human mind can't comprehend what you just said, Najimi-sama."

"Sorry, I sometimes forget myself." Najimi took another sip of tea. "As I was saying, close but not quite. Regardless, the adopted Nabeshima became the Kurokami heir's friend, and both are closely tied to him. Definitely a recipe for drama, or a love comedy, whatever."

"So they are having the normal rosy high school life that I've heard so much about?"

"That's what he wanted so that's they get."

"Then what about you and the others?"

Najimi gleefully smiled. "Let the readers read on and maybe they will find out. Can't reveal too much in such a short interlude, can we?"


	9. Arc 1: Chapter 4

21st Century Schizoid Man

Written By: Puratinamu Disuko

Beta By: WolfensteinVII

Disclaimer: This is a fan fiction and was only made for fun. I don't own anything.

Warning! The goal of this fan work is to make a story of an OP protagonist more interesting than just one sentence curb stomping and bashing. This story will also be gory with some very disturbing and squicky images of morally sick and taboo actions and thoughts like racism, cult worship, rape, adult situations with underage characters, and cannibalism, some vague and others described in detail, at some points in the story. These scenes are not there for the sake of being disturbing to make the story grim dark and gritty, but are there because they are necessary for the plot. This story definitely doesn't reflect my beliefs, so please don't sue me for it. Still, this story is made to be light-hearted so don't expect these scenes to be frequent if these things are what you only look for a story. If you're not into OP characters, can't stand gore, or if you're a minor, then I suggest you look elsewhere to spend your precious free time.

Arc 1: In the Chaos

Chapter 4: Medaka Pool

The sun was already pronounced at such an early time, pouring down its life-giving heat from up high in the earthen sky that even Medaka was beginning to perspire under her casual short-skirt and white sleeveless shirt, several buttons from the top and bottom open enough for ventilation as she carried a small purse.

She was waiting under the shed of a local bus stop with an old woman smiling to her grandchild and other teens on their phones, waiting to get to other places and spend the only day of the week where they are free from their responsibilities. Somehow, it made her feel more connected to humanity; that she, Medaka Kurokami, had the same want of spending her free time just to have fun and maybe….

It was eight-thirty in the morning, thirty minutes early to the designated time that she and the rest of the Student Council agreed to. However, the excitement got over her. Then again, no one can blame her; it was the first time she would do such a group activity; the much-awaited experience in her mind since she had received the tickets.

Speaking of how she had the idea in the first place, to be honest, it only came to her when she saw a poster as she was walking home. It was an advertisement of the grand opening of a new water park just a ride away from the nearest bus stop. She does not receive news about the Kurokami Zaibatsu's new endeavors in the business world — not even bothering to know actually — so it came as a welcome surprise to her. With the recent love letter incident and her growing friendship with the Council's green-haired secretary, a day of fun would a great way for them to further their relationships, or so says her readings. Therefore, she called the water park's management, getting three tickets in the process. It might also be a great way to further something else….

Medaka's heart pumped a bit faster at the thought of him.

Then what about Nekomi Nabeshima?

Yes, she had suspicions about Nabeshima's true intentions when joining the council, which were confirmed when the secretary went and issued the love letter challenge. Medaka could not blame her, he is very special and it is only natural that other females would notice him, not the she liked it. Just because her father had seven wives — including her deceased mother — it did not mean she would be open to such a prospect. Still, it seemed she was already too late if the rumors about him and Hansode Shiranui were true. He was gone for almost two and a half years, after all.

She thought about it of course, during to tumultuous span of time he was gone, that maybe it would much better for her if she would find another, to let go of him — she even considered accepting Akune's feelings. However, the matters of the heart are not and will never be defined by hard cold logic, much more so true of her emotion towards a certain strawberry-blonde.

That's why Medaka surmised that maybe, Zenkichi Hitoyoshi would have a very similar marital situation to her father in the future. She couldn't help but feel a bit of hurt at such possible future.

She mulled over the thought, both rage and jealousy and acceptance and friendship, both the heart and the mind, warring with each other with arguments and counter-arguments that made her sleepless for many nights — which wasn't actually a problem for her since she can go a month with no rest if necessary. She had only one conclusion, try to see if things would work out; if not… then something else a bit… more forceful… would be needed. There was only one truth for Medaka — she will never let go of him, even if compromises must be made.

This was the reason why she also decided to invite Nekomi Nabeshima… to try and use the opportunity to see if such arrangements could be possible. It was both cold logic and feeling heart agreeing to a plan that was feasible and would give the much-needed data for further analysis. A little manipulative, she had to admit, but Medaka was confident the eye-patched secretary already knew and consented, already being friends also made the decision easier.

What about Hansode Shiranui?

She did not know what to think of the girl. Medaka was perplexed as to why the blue-haired girl was in the academy to begin with. She knew about the Shiranui Clan, though not all that much with their secretive lifestyle and _Double_ works — it was why Hakama Shiranui is the school chairman instead of her father. Was Hansode Shiranui her double? That she did not have information of. There wasn't much change in her, and as far as she knew, the blue-haired girl wasn't substituting for her in any aspect of her life.

The only conclusion she could think of was that Hansode Shiranui was acting independently, wholeheartedly attending Hakoniwa Academy of her own volition… to be with him….

She did not want to, but Medaka sighed. What happened within those years of his disappearance?

"Oya, Medaka-chan, you're early," a voice called out to her, breaking her from thoughts. It was Nekomi Nabeshima, wearing a sundress, smiling her usual cat-like smile as she walked towards her, a cute and green designer's bag dangling on one of her hands. "Excited aren't we?"

Medaka returned her smile, glancing at a nearby clock — eight forty-five, fifteen minutes before the promised time. "I could say the same to you, Secretary Nekomi."

"Zenkichi-kun ain't here yet?" The eye-patched girl said sitting beside her. "What kind of man makes a girl wait?" she mock complained.

"It is to be expected, we came before the designated time."

"Medaka-chan, it's the guy's prerogative to come earlier than the girl, doing otherwise only means his heart isn't into pleasing us."

"Really?" Medaka did not know that. Are such Shōwa concepts still prevalent in 21st Century Japan? "Isn't that unfair for him?"

"Well… yeah…. But chivalry, Medaka-chan. Regardless of what others say about equality and all that, I still want guys who are every bit of a gentleman like the old days from time-to-time."

"Oh? That's unexpected. I never thought of you to be traditional." As far a she knew, Nekomi Nabeshima was the very example of what women strive for in the modern world — independent, successful, a girl who has a bright future without a man tying her down… well except recently if her actions towards Zenkichi were considered. Human depths sure are extensive, the unexpected deep below, hiding, until an opportune moment comes to present itself.

"That's not it, Medaka-chan. It's not about men's misogynistic views and whatnot. I just want to be treated as special."

"Special?"

"Not that Special, Abnormal stuff. Special, as in, to be treated as if you're the most precious thing in the world kind of special, even if it's just once in a while. I'm sure even the most feminist of women would want to be treated as such by the person they love even if just once in their life." The eye-patched girl said matter-of-factly, nodding to herself, very much convinced of her beliefs.

"Uhuh."

"Well, how about this. Close your eyes." Medaka did what her secretary said. "Imagine, Zenkichi-kun fussing over you, always taking care of you. Serving you tea when you're tired without even asking him. Staying by your side even when you're most troubled…" Nekomi's voice was slowly turning soft as she went on, almost dreamy, as though she herself was imagining what she said. "…saying words of encouragement, smiling at you, worrying about you."

Medaka opened her eyes and saw the short-haired girl's visible eye closed, her face flushed, smiling. "Secretary Nekomi, he already does those things for me."

The green-haired girl suddenly opened her eyes and groaned as she slapped her own face with her free hand. "Right. He does, huh."

Medaka smiled. "And recently, he also does those things to you."

"Ugh…. Yeah… my bad. Forget what I said."

"However, I do think you're right." Medaka continued to smile as she thought of something. "Why don't we make him let us feel special?"

"Oohhh, I like where this conversation is going."

-000-

Zenkichi was breathing hard and fast, panting, running as fast as he could to the designated meeting place. It was almost nine and for the good of his well-being, he must get there in time!

Why did he have to wake up so damn late?

Oh yeah, it was because Shiranui had something to discuss with him the night before. The small girl being his best friend, he gladly welcomed her with a smile. His mother never knew of course as the blue-haired girl had appeared out of an obscure portal directly inside his room.

It turned out that Anshin'in had suggested something to his best friend, a way to sate her hunger without his help by devouring his own… well… not-so-sane worshippers. He already considered such a course of action and he deemed it… somewhat unethical… for Shiranui to eat others…. To be honest, he was still hoping that his best friend would return to her more docile self. It was an ephemeral dream really, and something he knew would be a lost cause, however, he still hoped. Then again, she already crossed the line….

Returning to her old self was a next to impossible task.

But still….

Then he thought about recent developments, and acquiesced to the blue-haired girl's request. Eventually, there will be times when he would not be there by her side to curb her hunger… so might as well let her. What's a couple of unknown lives for the comfort of his cute Shiranui?

Nothing.

A cult disappearing into the abyss was normal anyway.

If he knew she would be so happy from him agreeing to such a simple request, he would have proposed such idea to her sooner.

After some… rigorous nightly action, they slept, Zenkichi waking up alone with the sun already up in the sky, his alarm clock broken in pieces — probably by Shiranui.

Only after yawning and smacking his lips did he realize that he had a very important engagement. With wide eyes, he stumbled off his bed, panicking like crazy, as he hurriedly searched for appropriate clothes — a loose white t-shirt with some alien characters and "RULES" imprinted on it and a pair straight leg pants. He then ran for the stairs, stumbling and landing badly on his head. He did not let such a minor injury stop him, so with a very bloody and bent nose and a broken neck, he went to the rest room to wash his face and fix himself. After he was done, he ran to the kitchen, greeting his child-like mother good morning as he took his bowls of rice and miso soup and poured both to his mouth unceremoniously, doing a very good job of a blowfish impression as he endured the burning heat to grind the food and gulp it down. As his burned lips healed, he gave his mother very short summary of where he was going and then hurriedly said his goodbye. However, before he could even take out his outdoor shoes from the shoe rack, his mother stopped him, gesturing for their morning mother and son ritual. He groaned but ultimately did what she asked and hugged his own mother, while she gave him a peck to the cheek. Zenkichi could not help but smile at his mother's show of affection.

Again, after all that was necessary was done, he said his goodbyes and ran as though his life depended on it.

Of course, he thought of using [Hammer Space], but getting out of that obscure dimension was such a hassle with the exit being random; the skill might even make him later than he already was. He did not even consider [Accel Point] and [Light Feet] as both skills were too conspicuous for his taste. Therefore, he settled for good old and normal running.

It wasn't after he saw the bus stop that he slowed down, taking out his phone from his pocket. It was already ten minutes after nine — definitely late!

He was so dead!

Zenkichi could already see the girls; both sitting on a long bench in the bus stop with other would be commuters, wearing poker faces as they tapped the soles of their shoes on the pavement.

Uh oh….

He was fatigued and was hard on catching up with his breath, his run reduced to slow strides, falling to his knees in front of the Council girls as he finally reached the bus stop. He ignored the glances of other people as he placed his hands on the hot pavement, the sweat from his forehead falling on the cemented ground.

As he finally caught up with his erratic breathing, he looked up and smiled weakly at both Medaka and Nabeshima. "Ah, sorry I'm late. Got lost in the road of life."

"Stop with the stupid excuses, Zenkichi-kun," the eye-patched girl said as she raised an eyebrow. "It's bad taste to arrive later than the girl."

His purple-haired childhood friend beside the green-haired girl nodded, remaining silent and her eyes closed.

"Sorry."

"Sorry won't be enough this time, Zenkichi," the buxom president in casual but very sexy ensemble said, opening her eyes to glare at him.

He gulped from nervousness, his eyes erratically looking for help from the people who were also in the waiting shed. He only got pitying and some jealous looks from the males, while the female half decided to ignore his state. Zenkichi then decided to hazard a question on how to acquiesce their supposed anger. "Umm, then what should I do?"

The catty senior smiled widely while Medaka nodded with her usual stern expression.

"How about you become our servant for today, Zenkichi-kun."

"Isn't that my usual role?" He'd like to say, but decided not to, as doing so would only worsen things.

"I'm sure you're thinking, 'Isn't that my usual role'?" Nabeshima suddenly added, nodding to herself, clearly pleased.

"Wow, you're really good Nabeshima-senpai. You're just like Joseph Joestar!"

"Kuku, aren't I? But giving me small praises won't help you, Zenkichi-kun."

"But if you knew, then why?"

"There are rules that you must follow, Zenkichi," Medaka said, entering the conversation, "We don't want to hear your usual complaints. You would do anything we ask, no questions asked."

Zenkichi would have nodded in agreement if not for a very debilitating possibility. What if Medaka asked what happened to him during his absence? What if Nabeshima would use the opportunity to discern secrets that she wasn't ready to know yet? He cursed inwardly; the seemingly harmless penalty was turning into a wedge that would ruin the gears of everything. However, he still had an ace. Regardless of his dislike for the method, he would have to give lies and half-truths if such situations should happen.

Grimacing, he slowly stood up, and sighed. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Nope!" both said girls said at the same time, flashing him with their equally pretty and innocent smiles.

He returned their smiles with a weak one.

Yeah, it's definitely better to lie.

-000-

The bus was full; it seems that many people heard of the grand opening of the water park. Nekomi could see each seat filled from the back of the bus where she and the rest of the Hakoniwa Student Council were sitting.

She nudged the strawberry-blonde teenager beside her, who was nodding, on the edge of sleep, earning his attention, as she tried her hardest to ignore the lingering smell of the small monster, aka Hansode Shiranui, on him.

"Yes, Nabeshima-senpai?"

She raised an eyebrow. "How can you sleep when you're between two girls?"

"Do you want me to grope you?"

"Try it and you're going to be my scratching pole for the rest of the school year." She glared at him.

"Ah, no, no! Of course I won't do such a thing! Sleep talk! Yes, I'm just spouting sleep talk!" He shook his head vigorously.

Nekomi sighed. Why did it have to be him?

_Kuku, you should be honest with yourself._

She sighed again.

_Oh, don't give me that! You should be glad if he gropes you. That just means he's interested in you._

The logic of the voice was just out-of-there. No self-respecting girl would want to be groped.

_Kuku, such juvenile thoughts. Humanity's morals are not absolute, my dear._

Well, she was human, so human morals was a given.

_Even after everything…_

Nekomi could imagine the voice shaking its metaphorical head.

She might be open to some not-so-normal concepts — like being in a polygamous relationship perhaps — but she was still sticking to human decency. They were living in a human society so they have to follow some human rules.

Thus, Nekomi decided to ignore the voice and contemplate her current situation.

The water park invitation from Medaka came as a surprise to her, especially when she was invited. She actually expected the purple-haired genius to invite Zenkichi on a date while showing her who the better girl was. Nekomi definitely thought too soon, and thus, she was disappointed with herself for thinking of such subterfuge from the naïve genius.

_You cannot blame yourself for suspecting her. It is only natural to think such things._

Well, at least the voice in her had some use on making her feel better.

_Hey!_

Then again, Nekomi realized Medaka was also planning on something. Whatever the case may be, it had come to her attention that the purple-haired genius was also open to such unusual relationship arrangement, if the president's invitation was to be surmised as such.

No, she was sure it was Medaka's goal.

_How unexpected of such a naïve girl._

She did know about Kurokami family and the extent of their influence, so maybe it was also natural for affluent families to have such marital arrangements. Then again, she was only hypothesizing.

_Nope, she's definitely from such a family._

The Kurokami girl was probably leery about such arrangement so she decided to test whether it would work out by adding Nekomi into the equation. Logical and at the same time there was heart on such methodology.

_I approve! I'm actually starting to like that girl._

The bus went on the road, passing through houses and people, stopping occasionally to drop a couple of commuters while letting in an equal number. Zenkichi returned to sleep, leaning on a silent but clearly pleased Medaka, who also had her eyes closed and was leaning on him.

_How cute!_

Surprisingly, instead of feeling jealous, Nekomi smiled at such a sweet picture. Friendship definitely does wonders… or maybe it was the voice. Regardless, the ugly feeling of jealousy was gone, replaced by seeming content as she decided to join them in the land of dreams, letting her head lie on her side of his shoulder.

It wasn't long before they arrived on their destination.

-000-

It sure was a huge water park. Just standing outside, waiting in line, as he took in the image of people lining up to enter, gave him a sense of wonderment. It was as though they were waiting for the gates of a cyclopean city to open, the enormous entrance of almost non-Euclidian design mesmerizing those that gaze upon it.

Zenkichi cursed. The owners were either crazy, had some unusual business plan, or had some out-of–whack conspiracy of sacrificing their customers to summon that city under that particular point in the South Pacific Ocean.

If not for the cutesy rendition of the Deep Ones, the silly name — he snickered at the 'Cthully' — and the bright happy colors, he would have destroyed the place immediately. He could not let some overgrown man-dragon-squid acolyte of his running around and ruining everything.

"Umm, Medaka-chan, do you know the owner of the water park?"

"You don't know? That's a surprise," his childhood friend answered in front of him, her slender back facing him, tilting her head to look at him, her tone implying something. She then smiled. "This is the newest of the zaibatsu's venture in the theme park industry. The group of companies is just riding on the bandwagon of the recent rise in popularity of Lovecraft's mythos in the country." It turned out that Medaka had some idea of his connection with the said group of companies, not that he was actively hiding it.

"That's bad taste, even for them," he said nonchalantly.

"What so wrong with it? It's not like those things in those stories actually exist, Zenkichi. Don't you know about 'Haiyore! Nyaruko-san', 'Song of Saya', or 'Demonbane'?"

"You've actually read those things?" Nabeshima suddenly entered their conversation, standing behind him.

Zenkichi was also surprised; those are some pretty niche titles targeted on an Akiba-centric audience. Yes, he had already read those titles and even read that light novel about some shoggoth becoming a maid — pretty good actually. Why couldn't real shoggoths be moe? Wait… moe shoggoths, now that's an idea for the future.

He actually burst out laughing at the end of Demonbane to the point he fell off his chair, rolling on the floor. And the concept behind the light novel Nyaruko — he could not wait for them to meet again and use the material. Still, it would have been better if Medaka mentioned the book 'Lair of the Hidden Gods'; at least it's critically acclaimed by several scholars interested in the said mythos.

"Well, I never read them myself, though I do know the general plot since my brother has them in his collection."

Was Maguro such a careless older brother? Or maybe he's just slowly corrupting Medaka? They definitely have to talk in the very near future.

"Umm, you do know there are rumors that the stories of this Lovecraft guy and some of the subsequent stories after his death had some truth in them don't you?" Nabeshima said. The catty secretary seemed to be getting closer to the truth, or she's already a conspiracy nut even before her recent altercation with him.

"Oh, those things about Miskatonic University? Hmm, you do have a point, Secretary Nekomi. But since there's no substantial proof yet, I'll continue to be a skeptic. Even my father only laughed at the rumors, and he got his doctorate there."

Nabeshima nodded at Medaka's reasoning, though she did steal a glance at him. "You know the saying, 'when there's smoke, there's fire'." Yep, definitely getting closer… but still not close enough.

Medaka shook her head and smiled. "Even so, it's only a water park. There's nothing wrong with it."

Zenkichi sighed. "If you say so."

As they finally reached the gates, a male employee ushered them in, but not before taking their tickets.

"Are you Kurokami-sama and friends?"

Medaka nodded for the group, obviously used to such deference.

"Momozono-sama and Nienami-sama would want to meet your group."

His childhood friend narrowed her eyes. "Very well, lead the way."

Hearing those two names definitely put his fear of the water park's true purpose to rest. Even the inside wasn't that much different from the usual water park: long water slides with interesting and very intricate designs, artificial wave pools, a splash area, very large pools circling all over the place, an artificial beach, a place to get some snacks, the works, with a lot of people enjoying each.

Zenkichi let out a sigh of relief.

The walk and the elevator ride was quite long — the worker only leading them up to the elevator entrance — as it turned out that the management's office was on a corner of the park on the top of a lighthouse-like structure, though larger with the tip shaped like a horizontal semi-circle. It had a bird's eye view of the whole park, perfect for its purpose.

After a rhythmic chime, the elevator door opened, stumbling upon a short and empty hallway with a couple of doors. They went straight to the room labeled "Management" at the other end. Medaka never knocked, letting herself in, the door surprisingly unlocked.

It was expected if those two were the ones managing the place. They just do not care for such little things as locking a door, unless it involved some much-needed privacy. Not that he was worried, he was very confident on their respective abilities to defend themselves.

Anyway, the management's office was an observatory-like room with transparent, though tinted, bulletproof glass walls in semi-circle. It was almost empty, the room seemingly larger than it was supposed to be, except for the very center of the room.

As he expected, two young girls were there, each sitting on opposite sides of a hard plastic table with aluminum stands, playing a game of — from what he could infer from the familiar back card art — Yu-Gi-Oh, not even caring about how great a view the room had on the whole park. On one side was a bored-looking redhead with a ragged, dark red school uniform, while on the other side was a small girl — her feet swaying, dangling — with vicious looking eyes wearing a kindergarten uniform and a mop cap. There was a set of large expensive looking briefcases under the table.

"I'm here," Medaka said in her stern business voice.

The girls who were playing a card game did not show any signs that they had heard Medaka's announcement of her presence.

"I'm here," Medaka said, again, her one eye twitching. Well, it was her first time being ignored after all. However, the girls only continued with their game, so Zenkichi decided to intervene.

"Hey, Momozono, Nienami, Medaka-chan's here."

"Not now, Zenkichi, I'm about to beat her," the redhead said, staring intently with her seemingly bored eyes at the cards on her hands and on her side of the table.

"Ha, you wish, fish girl," the diminutive girl with the mop cap said, grinning. "I play Miracle Synchro Fusion and remove from play both Dai-Gusto Gulldos and Reeze, Whirlwind of Gusto from the graveyard to summon Ultimate Axon Kicker in attack position. I then use Monster Reborn to summon Goyo Guardian from the graveyard in attack position—"

Before Momozono could even finish, Nienami dropped her cards.

"Ah, I lost."

"Hey, I haven't attacked yet!"

"It's obvious I'll lose."

"You can't quit!"

"Give it a rest, game geek, I lost."

"Keh! Quitter."

The redhead ignored the fuming girl and stood, turning to face them.

"Sorry…."

Medaka shook her head. "Next time if you call an appointment, make sure you're free. What you two did was bad for business."

"Heh. Spoken like a true Kurokami heir," said the small girl with the frayed hair, as she also stood up on top of her chair. She then bowed. "I welcome you, Medaka Kurokami and the rest of the Hakoniwa Student Council to Happy Cthully Water Park."

Zenkichi let out a snicker. "Nice one, Momozono."

"Mou, I'll think of a better name later."

"I told you Ruki-ruki Land would be better," Nienami said, her voice drawling.

"Shut it with your fascination for your own made-up word, fish girl. At least mine sounds cuter."

"Kuku, it seems you've gone around, Zenkichi-kun," Nabeshima suddenly hissed she stepped up front of the council group. "You two seemed quite familiar with our resident blockhead."

"I too want some answers," Medaka added her piece.

The arguing girls were butting heads over the table when they both turned to look at them. They then took an inquiring glance at him.

Zenkichi nodded.

Sighing, they stood straight.

"I'm sure you know of his journey, right, Kurokami-san?" Momozono said, grinning maliciously, suddenly morphing to inquiry as she turned to face green-haired third year. "By the way, can you introduce yourself?"

"Nekomi Nabeshima, Secretary. And you two?" Nabeshima said, tapping the soles of her shoes on the floor.

"Heh, I apologize if we haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name's Momo Momozono."

"I'm called Namanie Nienami."

Both girls introduced themselves.

"Momozono, Nienami. So are you two part of the Kurokami Zaibatsu?"

"Guilty."

"Yes."

Nabeshima knew of the branch families of the Kurokami Zaibatsu? Zenkichi was confused so he decided to ask.

"Umm, Nabeshima-senpai, how did you know?"

"Huh? Isn't it common sense to know of the major backers of Hakoniwa Academy?" The eye-patched girl looked at him incredulously.

"Really?" He never knew that. Is it really normal to know?

"Aren't you even a little bit worried about employment after you graduate?"

"Ah, if you say it like that, it does make sense." He nodded, convinced.

Nabeshima shook her head. "Anyway, Zenkichi's stupid question aside—"

"Hey!"

"—I still want to know why you two are chummy with him."

"You could say I met him back then and we unexpectedly hit it off," Momozono answered, taking out a coffee flavored candy bar from one of the pockets on her dress and biting through it, plastic cover, foil, and all.

"Same here," Nienami added.

"That doesn't explain anything."

"Heh, haven't you heard of privacy, cat girl," the diminutive girl in a mop cap frowned, her already vicious eyes intensifying.

Nabeshima stiffened, her eyes widening at the both of them. "You…"

Momozono suddenly grinned while Nienami's lips twitched.

The green-haired secretary let out a bestial hiss as she hurriedly let herself out of the room.

"What did you do to her?" Medaka threatened, her eyes narrowing at the pair.

"Don't know," the girl with the mop cep said while Nienami shrugged.

"Zenkichi, I'll let you take care of things here, I'll catch up with Nekomi."

"Sure, this won't take long."

Medaka smiled, nodding. After one last glare at the two girls at the table, she went to follow Nabeshima.

As soon as she closed the door, Zenkichi turned to face the pair with a raised eyebrow.

"So… what did you two do?"

"If you did not even get why she was angry, then it would be useless even if we tell you," Momozono said, tossing the remaining coffee bar into her small mouth.

"He's just acting oblivious," Nienami said, returning to her seat, which her current business partner also did.

"Heh, cruel."

"What could I even say? I can't lie to them if you two are here. Shiranui already revealed a couple of things to Nabeshima." Really, why does Shiranui always make things harder for him? However, for the life of him, he could not get angry. Regardless of how malicious she might seem to be, she is inherently a good girl. He had to admit, facades aside, she's a better human than him.

He could also not blame Nabeshima for how she acted. It was only natural with how the current society of humans is structured.

As for Medaka, he did not want to think about such things… yet.

"Point," Nienami gave her agreement, pushing the cards towards the small girl on the other side of the table.

"Really, such a cruel man," Momozono said as she took the cards on the table, arranging them into two appropriate decks. She then hefted the huge and expensive looking briefcase beside her and placed it on the table.

"Okay, okay, I understand. Anyway, why are you two even here?"

"What, can't a girl see his fiancé?" With a click, the mop cap girl opened it. Inside were more decks, all Yu-Gi-Oh from what he could tell. She placed the two decks inside it.

"Well, I thought you girls were busy."

"We still are…," Nienami said, pulling out a small blade under her skirt — earning him a welcome panty shot in the process — using its sharp edge to groom her nails.

"The fish girl is right; we're here only because of work. I'm actually surprised the Kurokami heir wanted to spend time here given how plebeian this place is."

"A great bonus for a hard day's work."

"Yup. You see, Zenkichi. This water park is a test, a collaboration between the Momozono and Nienami Family. With my family's specialty with all things entertaining—"

"And my family's employees' unique traits in water. I manage them."

"Then what about that gaudy gate?"

"Heh, you like it? Don't worry. We'll replace it tomorrow. We can't have foreign governments labeling us cultists can we?"

Zenkichi shook his head. So it was only a joke aimed at him… that's a bit much. "See to it that you do."

"Sure."

Suddenly, the familiar tone of the song 'Under the Sea' reverberated inside the room.

Nienami blushed. "Sorry, let me answer the call." She took out her still ringing cell phone under her tattered skirt — while returning the small blade she had in hand — and placed it to her ear, letting out monosyllabic grunts of affirmation from time-to-time. She then returned the phone to a hidden pocket under her skirt after she finished.

Yep, a double panty shot. Zenkichi nodded appreciatively. Nienami never fails to deliver.

However, Zenkichi had to ask, "My Little Mermaid?"

"I like the movie." Nienami let out a disappointed sigh. "Sorry, I've got to leave. A mascot part-timer had some problems with her suit."

"No problem."

"Do your job well, fish girl," Momozono said absent-mindedly, closing the briefcase and placing it back to where she took it.

"Yeah," the redhead replied. She then gave him a small smile. "Hope you have fun, Zenkichi." And with a shy peck to his lips, she left.

Thus, he and Momozono remained.

"So… you two are going to work here from now on?"

"Nah, only for the opening day and some minor supervisory work in the next days," She pulled out another briefcase, this time containing Magic the Gathering cards. She then pulled out a deck and checked each card one by one.

"So you're leaving after this?"

"We're already here, why would we?" the small girl with in kindergarten clothes let out a gentle smile, returning the deck — green themed it seemed — and pulled another one, a deck of blacks.

"Does that mean what I think that means?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

Zenkichi did not know whether to be excited or to be horrified of the prospect.

"Don't worry… we'll only intervene if needed." She hummed as she pulled out a card, replacing it with another one from the briefcase.

"Is this about the Flask Plan?"

"Something along those lines. Anyway, I'm sure the Kurokami heir and the cat girl are already waiting for you."

"Oh, in a hurry to get rid of me, eh."

"I can't concentrate on my work if you're here." She closed the briefcase, already done with what she was doing.

"Oh well, see ya later, Momozono."

"Wait." She stood on the top of the chair she was sitting on.

"Hmm?"

"You're forgetting something."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really."

"What is it then?"

She looked away, her cheeks reddening. "Don't make me say it, it's embarrassing."

"Oh, if you can't say it, I'm sure it's not important."

"Okay, okay…. You forgot to…," she said, unintelligibly mumbling the rest.

"Can you repeat it? I did not hear it clearly." As always, he could not help but tease her.

Suddenly, Momozono jumped towards him, using the table as a springboard. She clung to his neck…

"Stop teasing me!"

…and kissed him.

"Puah!" Red faced, she let go, landing deftly on her toes. "Now go!"

"Yeah."

She then looked away and smiled. "Enjoy yourself."

"I will."

-000-

Nekomi slammed her knuckled hand on the wall as she waited for the elevator door to open, gritting her teeth in frustration.

To think she would meet those… whatever they were….

_I assure you, unlike Eternal Hunger, those two are still human… well, for the most part._

Whatever, Nabeshima did not care what they were. She's wasn't even angry with them. What she was actually fuming about was her unpreparedness. Here she was, convinced that she was actually alright with such an arrangement with Zenkichi and Medaka, even seeing the little monstrous girl in another light after her lecture that day, but then the bomb that was those two girls came.

She thought she was ready; she spoke too soon.

What's more — the fact that was grating Nekomi even more — was their background. It wasn't enough that one was the granddaughter of the Hakoniwa Academy Chairman, another was a Kurokami, and one was… whatever she was... He had to add two business giant heirs in the mix. It was only right for her to conclude that the remaining were also elites. What the hell!? Is she the only one who actually came from a normal background?

Nekomi cursed, realizing her complex was kicking again, and this time, in full force.

But that was not all. What she's afraid of the most was the possibility of being tossed aside, unable to keep up with others. To earn his disappointment, for him to give excuses to keep her away from him, to disappear completely from her life… reduced to simple letters and calls… just like with her parents.

…_Don't worry, my dear. Did you not promise each other? He will always be there for you to hate…. He won't leave, I'm sure of it._

How can the voice be so sure? In the end, everyone would leave the disappointment, to get away from an unremarkable girl who does not know her place reaching for the impossible. Even the seeming losses and gains she had recently were losing their significance from the recent revelations.

_I just know._

Nekomi slammed her hands again on the concrete wall, cracking it and forming a small depression, as she let out a hiss of frustration, tuning out the voice in her head. At least there were no other people in the hallway to see her sorry state.

"Nekomi…"

Ah, it seemed she thought so soon. She forgot about the genius president.

"…Are you alright, Nekomi?"

"Kuku, what do you think?" She avoided the purple-haired girl's gaze.

"Did they do anything to you?"

"I wish they did…" Oh how she wished they did… then at the very least she could actually hate them. However, life is not made of wishes and what-ifs; it's about cold heart truths and a ton of lies.

"I don't understand…. However, regardless of what's distressing, I'm here to help."

Sudden raged welled within Nekomi. How can this genius girl understand!? The naïve girl was as amazing as they come, the best of the best! Not like her who had to lose a part of her very self. Not like her who had to pay the consequences just to get a glimpse of that bright and much desired pedestal!

Not like her….

She whipped around, ready to barrage the assuming girl with curses and derogatory words.

However, her rage went to a full stop as she saw Medaka's face.

The sad look of the naïve girl's eyes, the genuine look of concern.

"We're friends right, Nekomi?" the purple-haired genius said, her voice gentle.

Right….

Friends….

They were friends….

Nekomi could only smile a self-depreciating smile. "Kuku, yes, friends." Saved by an inexperienced girl from her own self-destructive complex, it was embarrassing.

_I'm definitely liking this girl._

She may be outclassed, but at least she was sure of Medaka's support.

Her friend's support.

-000-

Medaka was glad.

Whatever came over Nekomi, she was sure the green-haired secretary was already over it.

However, she, herself, was still troubled.

Zenkichi already knew the heirs of two branch families, even being very close to them from what she could gather. It was only apt to conclude that he also knew the others.

Medaka was worried.

Was there another Jet Black Wedding Feast? If so, then was Zenkichi involved?

She did not even have time to be jealous of how close he was with them, as the worry for his safety overpowered the negative emotion. It was natural, as everyone who participated in the last Jet Black Wedding Feast died… and even her father figure perished not long after he won the first feast.

Does Zenkichi know about the feast? Was that the reason why he went and disappeared? Maybe he won and he was now her fiancé…. Oh how Medaka wished such thought was true.

However, his father did know he would be back just before the start of high school.

Then again, if the feast did happen, she would have known.

What was she supposed to think about him and those two girls…? Was her premonition that Zenkichi was becoming like her biological father true? Does he also have the same relationship with the other recently declared female heirs of the branch families? What about Hansode Shiranui? What was her relationship with him? Questions and questions… all with no definite answers. She had always been so sure that such foreign state of confusion was making her a bit nauseous — a first for Medaka Kurokami.

"Are you alright, Medaka-chan?" Nekomi asked, walking beside her, the green-haired girl's face wrought with worry.

"Yes, I am fine."

"If you say so," the eye-patched girl said. It was clear she wasn't convinced, but she relented.

They had just arrived in the female changing room — just a series of coin lockers with some blinds in one corner. It was not long after that that Medaka was already in her swimsuit, waiting for Nekomi to finish changing to her own.

"Nekomi, what about your eye?"

"Oh this?" Nekomi said behind a blind. "Don't worry; my doctor said it's alright if I just use a contact lens as a substitute to protect it."

"Then why are you still wearing an eye-patch?"

"Kuku, it's quite embarrassing. You see, somehow I feel uncomfortable without it. And it's not like it clashes with my looks. Some of my classmates even said that it looked good on me. Why disagree?"

"Uhuh. That's good. Just be careful, okay?"

"You shouldn't worry about me, Medaka-chan."

Nekomi's head then appeared above the blinds, staring at her up and down, both of short-haired girl's purple eyes visible after a long time. "Hooh, you really went out to look good today, Medaka-chan."

"It's a waste to not show-off my body with the work I do to maintain it," she said proudly as she stretched.

"Eh? You do?"

"Of course. You might think otherwise with how much I eat, but I do a lot of exercise on my own."

"Okay, but I'm sure that's not the reason why you're wearing that."

"Well…" Medaka looked down checking if there was amiss with her white string bikini.

"Don't worry; I'm not jealous of you. Heck, lure him in with that body of yours."

"Really? But I thought—"

"But don't forget about me, okay?"

Well, that confirms it. Her secretary did know of her plan to — as they say — test the waters. "Are you sure about this, Nekomi?"

"To be honest, I disliked it at first. But with the recent developments, compromises should be made."

Just as her deceased father figure would always say, "To live a happy life is to live in compromised life."

"And we're friends, right?" Nekomi added, giving her an approving smile.

"Ah, yes, we're friends. And friends share."

"Yep."

"Even if others would appear, we will not lose."

"We will not give up."

Yes, it was good to have a very understanding friend.

-000-

Zenkichi was lost. The damn water park was just too big.

"Where are they anyway?" he mumbled as he searched for the girls of the Student Council.

"My, my. If it isn't the worm."

"Urk!" Zenkichi inwardly cursed as he heard the much hated voice of his rival. He turned around. There, smugly lounging on a sunbathing chair was Kouki Akune, his eyes hidden under a black pair of shades.

Well, so much for a fun day.

"Why are you here, Akune?"

"This place isn't yours, Hitoyoshi. I can relax here anytime I want. So… where's Medaka-san and Nekomi-senpai?"

"What makes you think they're here?"

"I'm not stupid, Hitoyoshi. If you're here, then so are they."

"Huh? It's not like they can't go to water parks without me."

"So… you don't know?"

"Know what?"

Akune grinned. "So you're actually here just to relax, huh, mama's boy."

"Wait, what did you just call me!?"

"Ma~ma's bo~y."

"What's wrong with being close with my mother? Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just saying what's true." The blonde was voicing platitudes, but his attitude said otherwise. Akune was always like this, riling him up even back then.

He was sure that Nabeshima was at fault here. Wasn't the mauling enough?

"Damn you."

"Anyway, enough with your issues. You really don't know where they are?"

"What's make you think I'm going to answer you after what you said."

"Wow, you act like a kid."

He would have punched the smug face off Akune if not for a sudden arrival of a couple of girls.

"Captain Akune, you're not swimming?" a small girl with pigtails said, holding an inflatable beach ball larger than half of her body. The girl was wearing a very cute swimsuit that Shiranui would have worn if his best friend were there.

"C'mon! It would be waste if you just lie there until it starts," the confident looking girl with the short hair and sporty one-piece added, suddenly hugging the smaller girl from behind.

"Kya! Tanigawa-san!"

"Hehe, you're just too cute, Ringo-chan!" The taller girl pinched the smaller girl's cheeks, obviously having fun with the meek girl's cute cries. The taller girl then looked at his direction. "Woah…. Isn't he that guy who beat Nabeshima-senpai? The one with those unreal judo moves?"

Akune sighed and stood up from his prone position. "Let me introduce to you girls; the worm, serial momma's boy, and current General Affairs Manager of the Student Council: Zenkichi Hitoyoshi."

Both girls snickered.

"Hey!"

"Sorry," the taller girl said apologetically. She then offered a handshake — which he returned — grinning. "Hotaru Tanigawa, at your service."

"Ringo Hoshizumi," the smaller girl said, shyly introducing herself, hiding behind the large beach ball.

"You're just too cute, Ringo-chan," Tanigawa began pinching Hoshizumi's cheeks again. "But, seriously, are you really a momma's boy?"

"…nope."

"Hah, definitely a momma's boy."

"Huh? What?"

Akune suddenly patted him in the back. "Women are sharp, Hitoyoshi."

"Am I just here to be made fun of by your group?"

"What, you aren't?"

"Arggh!"

"Haha, you're actually funny, Hitoyoshi."

Huh? That's quite a change of attitude from the blonde bastard.

"Hey, what's with you being so chummy all of a sudden?"

"Nothing. Maybe becoming a captain made me more mature, unlike a certain someone."

The girls accompanying Akune laughed again.

Zenkichi gave up and just sighed. "Seriously, you guys should stop this. I can only take so much."

Luckily, Zenkichi's dreadful teasing stopped when they heard loud catcalls and wolf whistles behind him. He turned around to look.

What they saw stole their undivided attention.

"Hitoyoshi, scratch what I said. I still hate you."

"Yeah… I'd hate myself too."

Zenkichi's mind, kindly saying, was in a very deep ditch, his brain functions teetering on the brink of collapse. His body was rigid, his blood boiling on top of the hot sun above, sweating profusely, as his eyes widened to their physical utmost, his mouth hanging uselessly open.

It was a normal reaction for the two contrasting, but somehow complementing, beauties that walked towards him.

One had a body that could easily surpass those of models from Victoria's Secret, her white string bikini hugging her curves, hiding enough to tantalize thoughts of both male and female alike. Her stern beauty was beseeching, overwhelming, that if he did not already know of her, he would have offered his body to do whatever she wanted with it as he placed her on a pedestal to be his master, his mistress. Thankfully, he knew her; she was his childhood friend in fact, so he managed to control himself, albeit not that much.

The girl beside her was another story altogether. She was prim and proper, sporty and spunky, with an air of unexplained wildness as she stalked like a panther towards him with her black two-piece showing off her usually hidden but very fetching femininity.

Oh gods of earth, created by mortal man to rule upon them, one was Artemis, one was Cleopatra, both were goddesses, both were empresses. Men and women alike would have zealously fought wars and pillaged continents in their name. For as the creature known as human rose to prominence at the end of Aphoom Zhah and Ithaqua's Ice Age, so was their destructive and ephemeral wants, offering countless Hyborean Kingdoms and Thurian Empires, and the untold riches and alien artifacts they possess, for a chance to gaze upon their exemplary and otherworldly countenance. The creature known as man would have gladly sunk the great city of Atlantis and even the lost but ever-mysterious continent Mu just to be bequeathed of a peek. They are such women, such creatures, with beauteous allure, unheard and unseen even in the ever wondrous confines of the dreamlands, enough to tame even the greatest of entities within the cruel and infinite Multiverse.

Yes, Zenkichi's mind was definitely malfunctioning when he began to think of such crazy metaphors.

"Hey, Zenkichi-kun, you there?"

"I'il ioljithma I'ya Nbish. Ii'ya mukhtar'loth ngah Mhkadhi."

He was so stuck in such metaphorically deep ditch that it took a gentle slap from the green-haired goddess… a gentle slap from Nabeshima to wake him.

"What are you spouting, Zenkichi-kun...?" the green-haired girl turned to ask a dumbstruck Akune. "Hey what happened to him?"

"Ah, sorry… what were you saying, Nabeshima-senpai?" Zenkichi finally managed to utter.

"Nevermind…." Nabeshima then let out a conniving smile at him, twirling on the spot, showing off her sporty black bikini. "So, what do you think?"

"What do I think…? Well… it's… I… ah… good?"

"Your answer sucks, but I'm satisfied with you reaction. Good for you, Zenkichi-kun." She gently tapped his cheeks.

Out of nowhere, for he was still recovering from his sudden mental breakdown, Zenkichi felt someone tugging on one of his hands. He turned and saw another goddess — a very sexy Medaka.

"Medaka-chan?"

"What about mine, Zenkichi?" She said; unusually shy for once, which only added to her allure.

"Ahhhhhhh…. It's good."

His childhood friend in the white string bikini seemed satisfied with his answer as she pumped her fist. She then did a high-five with Nabeshima.

After such strangely out-of character moment, Nabeshima turned to the Judo trio, smiling her usual smile. "Anyway, fancy meeting you here, Akune-kun. You even brought Tanigawa-chan and Hoshizumi-chan."

"Yeah…" the blonde rubbed the back of his head. "Just like you guys, we're here to have fun." He then turned to his two female companions. "Right?"

"Y-yeah…."

"Of course, Nabeshima-senpai."

"Huhum… I doubt that's the only reason you three are here." The girl who was currently eye-patch-less — both her purple orbs showing — was rubbing her chin, grinning wider.

Akune let out a defeated sigh. "As expected, we can't hide anything from you, Nabeshima-senpai."

"Kuku! Praise me more!" Nabeshima proudly smiled.

"So, how did you know?"

"Before we found you four, we noticed familiar faces among the crowd, all known to be members of clubs from Hakoniwa," Medaka answered this time.

"Really?" Zenkichi never noticed.

"What? You didn't notice?" Nabeshima repeated what he was thinking. Was the green-haired third-year a mind reader now? Maybe she's just awesome like that?

Zenkichi decided to spout the first thing he thought. Definitely a bad move, then again, no one can blame him after such… shocking experience. "Uhhh… I was busy searching for you two?"

"Uhuh… and I hate eating fish. Do you think we're that gullible, Zenkichi?"

"Sorry."

"Regardless of his reasons, we have to focus on this new development. Captain Akune, why are some of the clubs of Hakoniwa here?" Medaka thankfully intervened.

For the life of him, he was sure Nabeshima enjoys tormenting him physically, quite different from Shiranui's mind games. Ah, the pains he must endure for his irresistible swa— uh… circumstances. Yep, definitely circumstances. He definitely and undoubtedly wasn't thinking of something else.

"Well, as you know, it's the opening day of this water park," Akune began his explanation.

"Aha! So with the opening day, there will be an event…" Nabeshima suddenly said, acting as though she was the unholy fusion of Conan Edogawa and Phoenix Wright, though definitely sexier. She was obviously conscious of how she's acting and was even enjoying it.

Akune let out a good-natured smile at his erstwhile captain. "Yes. We heard the prize is quite a large sum of money, so we, and several others, decided to join for the chance to get the prize money for their respective clubs."

"For what it's worth, I apologize that we still haven't finished with the budgeting of the club funds," Medaka said, back to her usual stern and no-nonsense attitude. "I assure you that we will fix this as soon as we can."

"Don't worry, we understand," Akune said. The small girl, Hoshizumi, then tugged on his left arm, all the while cutely glaring at Medaka while hiding behind him. "Ringo-san?"

The pig-tailed girl never answered, opting to continue tugging the blonde's arm.

"Sorry, Ringo-chan's just shy," Tanigawa said, defending her friend.

Akune nodded in understanding and turned to give Medaka and Nabeshima an apologetic smile. "Ah… sorry, can we cut this discussion short?" He completely ignored Zenkichi, who was somehow reduced to a background character somewhere in the middle of the conversation. Heck, he could even feel as though he was there just to be the perspective of scene.

"We don't mind, Captain Akune," Medaka said.

"Anyway, if guys decide to join, we definitely won't lose!" And with a final challenging grin, he left with the judo girls.

Zenkichi let out a breath of relief. Finally, they left.

"We really need to finish the budgeting," Medaka said sternly.

"Forget about council work for now, Medaka-chan. We're here to have fun. Hey, why don't we join this event?" Nabeshima suggested.

"Huh?"

"As far as I can tell, it seemed a group must consist of three members, perfect!"

"Wait! Can't you think about this for a second?" At last, Zenkichi can finally enter the conversation.

"I approve of your suggestion, Secretary Nekomi."

"Hey! Are you girls listening to me?"

"Thanks Medaka-chan. But before that, why don't we check out the wave pool?"

"Good Idea."

"Hey, listen to me!"

"If you keep dillydallying, Zenkichi, we'll leave you!"

"Wait up!"

People should have told him it was "Ignore Zenkichi Day". At least he wouldn't have been crying inside as he followed the two beauties.

Oh, the things he does for _Normality_.

-000-

Even though the beginning of the day was far from ideal, Nekomi was glad she came.

Sunbathing, resting on a large inflatable floater she rented using Zenkichi's money — which he gave without his usual grumbling — she let the artificial waves gently rock her.

At that moment, she was glad she was alive.

The sound of splashing water was relaxing, the laughter and the incessant chatter from the other pool goers calming. To be honest, she was a tad bit worried the treated water would have some negative effects on her given her new obviously feline characteristics. She was expecting some crazy fear, or even just disgust. However, it seemed her worries were for naught as just like before her change, it was… well… it felt like normal water; the smell was a little unpleasant at first though.

Speaking of catty senses, she did manage to get a mild case of cat's tongue, not enough that she couldn't enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee, though comparatively of less temperature than she was used to.

Anyway, with such relaxing atmosphere, she decided to mull over some things she managed to gather of her recent situation — especially Zenkichi's initial distaste about the water park's theme. Normally, Nekomi would have pegged him as a guy who just did not like Lovecraft's work. However, her current state and Shiranui's monstrous behavior made her think twice.

Crazy, she had to admit. Was the conspiracy behind the so-called Cthulhu Mythos actually true? Just considering the idea made her cringe.

_Hmm… do you remember what he said about fiction?_

The voice had a point. What if this Lovecraft fiction was just some grand ruse? A cosmic joke done to humanity?

The voice hissed.

_It's probably that bastard's work._

Huh? Nekomi was confused….

_Don't worry, you'll know soon._

Whatever…. Going back to the topic, if those weird tales had some truth in them... Did that mean that Shiranui and that floating girl are actually monsters similar to those mentioned in the stories?

_You only get that now? Wow, you're pretty slow._

Nekomi ignored the voice's insult as she turned over on her inflatable waterbed; her back now facing the sun's tanning light. She could not help snicker at the memory of Zenkichi's flustered face as he put sunscreen on both her and Medaka — a part of his 'Servant for the Day' punishment. Though it was not much of a punishment, it sure was fun for her. He was surprisingly good with massage, superb even if the almost moans she had almost never managed to suppress was any indicator. He probably perfected his skill through experience.

Thinking of the strawberry-blonde teenager of her special interests, she had to ask, was he also some sort of alien monstrosity? And if so, why wasn't she as bothered as much as she should be? She should be scared. She should be horrified at the prospect. However, she wasn't. It was as though she already knew from the beginning and did not care. Was common sense a part of what she lost that night? Or maybe it was her self-preservation instincts?

_It's love, my dear._

Love huh… She wasn't a tsundere, so she suspected she was developing something close to the so-called feeling of love….

Nekomi felt her face flush.

Nope, it was not love… it was hate. It was his and her promise after all, a hate that would be beyond space, an eternal hate that would pass the test of time.

_Wow…. Never knew you can be so romantic. I approve!_

Nekomi decided to shift her thoughts before she fainted… like those strange paintings by Yuubaru for example. Yep, the paintings were definitely a good topic to think over while sunbathing.

_Kuku, you can be so cute!_

The paintings! Yes, the paintings sure were strange, like that painting of her friend, Medaka Kurokami. At first, she only thought about it as some weird artistic style the painter boy got from her friend's family name, after all, the Kanji of Kurokami (黒神) literally meant Black God; the voice's silence at that time also compounded on her initial conclusion. Still, curiosity struck her so he decided to try modeling.

Nekomi definitely enjoyed Zenkichi's very interesting reaction back then when she changed to an attire of her choice. It only meant that she definitely got it. Score one for Meister Nekomi!

The result was surprising, even horrifying. Was that what she was turning into? An otaku's wet dream? A freaking cat girl? Nekomi couldn't help but curse. No wonder she felt that incredible feeling when Zenkichi caressed her face. Damn it! And what's worse was she could not even hate him for it.

_Oh? You can't hate him?_

Scratch that, she made a mistake. She did hate him for it… Definitely hate him for it like no other hate she had experienced before.

_Uhuh… And I'm not a disembodied voice in the head of a girl with an extreme case of both inferiority and superiority complex._

Nekomi ignored the voice.

Back to her overly fetishistic rendition on a canvas….

_Don't fret on it… You'll know the meaning behind your painting soon. No need to rush things._

So she's turning into cat girl?

_Kuku, I don't know if you can just be classified as a cat girl after all this._

But she would still be cat girl….

_Won't you give it a rest? What's wrong with being a cat girl?_

But cat girls… cutesy… otaku…. fetish… crazy repressed Japanese stuff.

_I actually find this current trend in your country's culture to be quite interesting, especially that bastard's rendition in that one comedic light novel. Kuku, Nyaruko._

Wait! What? The voice actually met the actual Crawling Chaos? And here she thought it was just her MPD, Multiple Personality Disorder, self talking.

_Tsk. Tsk. As I said, you can't rush things…. Take your time._

But seriously, the Crawling Chaos!

_I'm not talking to you anymore._

Nekomi sighed…. What was happening to her? What kind of bizarre situation did she get herself into? She snickered, it was as though she was in a manga…. or a badly written fan fiction. Whatever the case, she was sure interesting days were coming.

Still, back to the paintings and ignoring the fetishistic connotations of her own rendition on the canvas, she had to admit, she did look good, especially with the tan — Zenkichi definitely liked it with his coughing and ragged breathing. It definitely gave her enough motivation to sunbathe hoping that she could replicate such skin complexion.

Then there was Shiranui and her own canvas rendition, which definitely boggled Nekomi's mind.

Only two words came to her the moment the painting was finished.

Massive Dread.

Seriously, Shiranui in the painting looked like a girl in a hentai… damn creepy and a bit… she had to admit… sexy. Does that mean that that monster girl was actually a tentacle monster? Woah! Zenkichi's strike zone is definitely out there… like galaxy-wide out there…. And if so, was Medaka actually some goddess of darkness… Ugh, just thinking about how scientifically incorrect she sounded was making her head hurt. Nekomi had enough for now… It's not like she cared anyway. For all she knew, she might actually be some extraterrestrial that had landed on this planet billion of years ago and was sealed by the crazy shenanigans of a tentacle monster until recently — kind 'a like Son Goku from Dragon Ball, though without the sealing and the tentacle monster bit.

Nekomi could not help but hysterically laugh aloud, scaring some nearby swimmers. Damn, she really was turning mad from all the crazy shit that's been happening recently in her life.

Yes, she definitely needed the R&R she was having.

She was just about to take a nice, light nap when she heard Medaka and Zenkichi's voices. Twisting her head bit, she looked at their general direction.

"Waaai, cute fish! Can I take it home, Zenkichi!? Pretty please!" Medaka squealed like a little girl, hugging the life off the pink mascot, who was clearly pushing its self away from the supposedly crazed girl.

"No, Medaka-chan, you can't take it home," Zenkichi said, obviously used to her purple-haired friend's unusual behavior — an undeniable proof for Nekomi that they had been friends since forever.

"But... but…" The Kurokami girl was visibly becoming upset, her red eyes wide and wet.

"I'm sorry Medaka-chan, but you can't. The management wouldn't let you."

"I'll call the management." Medaka's eyes narrowed at Zenkichi. "I'll force them to give it to me." She then turned to look at the mascot, who was still in her grasps trying with all its might to get away, with doe-like eyes. "It's just so cute!"

"That would be just wrong, Medaka-chan," Zenkichi sighed rubbing the back of his head.

"No! I'll take it home no matter what!" The purple-haired girl squeezed tighter, the mascot now waving his hands in panic.

Nekomi could not believe it. Did she actually see Medaka acting like a kid? Worse, was she actually going crazy?

Nekomi closed her eyes, pinching her own hand, and counted to ten before opening them again.

Yep, they were still there — Medaka acting like a spoiled kid while Zenkichi had the role of the burdened parent.

Nekomi sighed in relief, so it was actually happening. She was thankful for her confirmed sanity.

Still, such sight tickled her curiosity, so she decided to postpone her sunbathing and dove to the water below her, swimming towards Medaka and Zenkichi's general direction while pulling the inflatable waterbed. As soon as she got out of the wave pool, she left her large plastic floatation device beside a palm tree.

"Hey, what's going on, Zenkichi-kun?" Nekomi asked when she was near enough to the original Student Council duo with Medaka still happily hugging the lights out of one of the water park's mascots — a cutesy rendition of some fish-like human with large anime eyes and gaudy pink-colored skin.

"I'm glad you're here, Nabeshima-senpai. Can you convince her that mascots are not for take-out?"

"Huh? How about you explain to me first why she's going gaga for it?"

"Well… you see, ever since Medaka's been a child, she's always liked animals."

"And then…."

"Well, tragically, animals do not like her back, a sad one-sided love on her end. You could even say they're deathly afraid of her," Zenkichi said, remorseful.

"Wow, something like that could definitely scar a child."

"Don't worry, Medaka-chan's really strong."

"Then why is she obsessing about that mascot?" Nekomi asked, pointing at the seemingly out-of-character genius girl.

"Somehow, even knowing there's a person inside the costume, she decided to settle for the next best thing."

Wow, she never heard such a jump of logic before.

"Heavy… let me try convincing her?"

"Sure."

Nekomi neared her crazed-by-cuteness friend.

"Medaka-chan… can you calm down first and think of what you are doing?"

"No…"

"Okay," Nekomi said as she returned to Zenkichi's side. "That's all I got"

"Uwaa, weak."

"Oh well, how about we do something different."

"Huh?"

Nekomi gestured for him to come closer.

After huddling a bit to plan the method of attack, Nekomi stepped aside while Zenkichi did his role.

"Hey, Medaka-chan, can't you just let go of the mascot?"

"No!"

"There's a person inside, Medaka-chan."

"But…"

As Zenkichi distracted Medaka, Nekomi began slowly edging her way to the planned location. Not long after, she saw her chance, so she leaped and pulled off the headpiece of the mascot's costume, revealing the person inside.

It was girl, a very familiar girl at that.

"Ah, thank you, kind costumer," the ponytailed girl said after she took a large breath in.

"No prob." Nekomi raised her hands in a placating manner at the ponytailed girl to tell her it was no big deal, though she did feel guilty with how stricken Medaka was with what she did.

"Mou… Nekomi…."

"Sorry, Medaka-chan, but you have to let go."

However, the purple-haired president in the string bikini never listened, opting on staring at the ponytailed girl in the eyes. "Hmm, you're a student of Hakoniwa, aren't you?"

The girl visibly panicked. "Would you believe me if I said no?"

Medaka narrowed her eyes.

"I thought so…." The girl sighed. "Yes, I'm a student in the academy."

Finally, Medaka let go. "Sorry about that," the president said, her face returning to its usual stern expression. "Nevertheless, a student should apply permission for part-time work. Hakoniwa may value its student's independence above all else, but the academy is still responsible for its student's safety, thus, rules must be followed. Say can you tell me your name?"

"Ah, sorry, everything was a rush and I just got notified about this job yesterday after class, so I haven't had the time to submit the needed papers." The mascot girl bowed awkwardly due to her still wearing the mascot costume. "Umm… I'm Mogana Kikaijima. Please let me go. I promise I will do as you say."

"No, I should be the one sorry for disturbing your work. But next time, file your papers on time, okay?"

The girl known as Kikaijima sighed in relief. "Of course!"

"You can—"

Nekomi decided to interrupt Medaka, asking a question to satisfy her tingling curiosity. "Say, are you the same Kikaijima of the Swimming Club?"

"Yes!" The ponytailed girl said, a bit high-strung and guarded.

"Ohh, nice meeting you." Nekomi grinned. "I definitely admire your club's methods in winning competitions."

"Thank you.… Umm, can I go now? I still need to work."

"Sure, take care," Nekomi said, handing the headpiece of the ponytailed girl's costume.

"Thank you very much," Kikaijima said, bowing again before she ran to wherever she had to go.

"Woah, part-time work eh…. Maybe I should get some," the strawberry-blonde servant for the day said.

"No." Medaka gave her no-nonsense opinion on his sudden comment.

"Huh?"

"I want you to focus on your work with the Student Council."

"Are you still miffed about the mascot, Medaka-chan?"

"Hmph!" the red-eyed president avoided his gaze, crossing her arm under her large chests.

Zenkichi sighed and turned his attention to Nekomi. "Nabeshima-senpai, you know that girl?"

"Well, in our Academy, there are three people who are known to be very pushy about money; she's one of them…." Pushy was being mild. The members of the Swimming Club of Hakoniwa were more like sharks in terms of their obsession with money, not that she found such materialistic motivation wrong. She could even say that she liked them. It also helped that one of the members was a classmate of hers.

"Uhuh… so she's obsessed with money…. And here I thought she's one of those destitute hard-working girls."

Here we go again. Sometimes she would ask herself why she was even putting up with him.

_Kuku, like I said. It's love!_

And here she thought the voice would not disturb her anymore.

_You won't get rid of me that easily!_

Nekomi decided to ignore it, opting to focus on a more important matter. "Okay, are you actually that stupid? Seriously, even I can't believe it."

"Sorry…."

"Never mind…. However, to correct your obviously contrived and idiotic comment, I tell you this. Yes, she's a genuine hard-working girl who has monetary problems…."

Zenkichi seemed to feel guilt from his insensitive comment from how he grimaced. Good, it seemed he still had a heart.

"I'm really sorry."

Nekomi shook her head. "It shouldn't be me you should be apologizing to."

"I know…"

"But enough of me guilt tripping you," she said shrugging as she turned to face the still fuming Medaka Kurokami, "say Medaka-chan. Want to check out that huge slide?"

"Slide?"

"Yup, it's one of those things friends do."

"Nabe—"

"Shut it, Zenkichi-kun. I'm talking here."

Zenkichi clamped his mouth shut.

"So… want to go?" Nekomi added.

"Yes."

"Nice! Hey Zenkichi-kun, could you return the waterbed back to the rental house?"

"Wait—"

"And please don't be late."

"It is as you say, Mistress Nabeshima."

Therefore, with a slumped back, he took the waterbed and went to do what he was told. Nekomi definitely liked it when he's obedient. Maybe she should engineer a situation for him to be punished again. Yep, that's definitely something she would want to do in the near future.

However, she had a humungous slide to conquer first, so she took Medaka's hand, pulling the purple-haired girl with a smile.

"Let's go, Medaka-chan!"

-000-

The slide was imposing.

Boasting a height of 170 feet, approximately 52 meters, simply but aptly named "The Twisting Drop" created a looming shadow as the sun slowly rose to its height for the coming noon. However, its design was anything but simple. Like its name, the slide was twisting, the large and brightly multi-colored tube, of length thrice its height, swerving to almost architectural impossibilities, with metallic beams supporting the serpentine structure, which created an avant-garde symmetry.

It was a challenge, a ride not for the faint of heart.

Medaka heard Nekomi whistle in appreciation as the green-haired secretary looked up the tall structure, trying to discern the top. "Now that's what I call a slide. As expected of the Kurokami Zaibatsu."

It was perfect, much to Medaka's delight.

Thankfully, even though the line was long, the wait was short — owing to how fast a ride ends. Zenkichi even arrived right on time, her earlier anger on him subsiding for the upcoming thrill of the ride. She hoped the water slide lived up to its looks.

The ride up the elevator only added to the excitement, the transparent walls letting them see how large the water park really was. They could even see a humongous structure covered in tarpaulin, much larger than the slide they were planning on conquering.

Medaka grinned. The structure might be a part of the event Akune was talking about earlier. She decided, the three of them would enter the event and win it.

With a rhythmic chime the elevator ride ended, the summer winds barraging them as soon as the transparent door opened. She was glad for the domed roof, as even their sunscreens would not protect them from the sun's rays at such height.

"Wow, we sure are high up," Nekomi said in obvious delight, walking towards the edge of the platform just behind the safety bars, taking in the amazing view at such height. She then turned to Zenkichi, grinning, "Neh, Zenkichi-kun, would you survive if you fall from this height?"

Zenkichi shook his head frantically, his eyes wide in fear. "I don't think anybody would survive this fall, especially not the normal me."

Her secretary only smiled knowingly.

Medaka doubted the senior actually meant what she said it. However, why did her green-haired friend ask such a question anyway?

Still, Medaka let that particular train of thought rest for the time being as she ushered the two to hurry up and join her in the inflatable boat. Of course, she was up front so she could experience the utmost rush. After strapping themselves for safety and some words from the worker assigned to the ride, the fun began.

Medaka definitely enjoyed it, squealing in delight. She even enjoyed Nabeshima's raucous laughter and Zenkichi's shrieks. In other words, the ride went along the lines of:

"Waiiii!"

"Aggh! Please make it stoooop!"

"Woohooo!"

"Crap, crap, craaaap! Why didn't I stay asleep!?"

"This is fun!"

"This is the best ever!"

"Damn you, Gods of Earth! A fuck I bit my tongue~aaaaa!"

"Stop talking nonsense Zenkichi and just enjoy the rideeeee!"

"Weee!"

"No! I'm sorry! Please, anyone, help meeee!"

"Waaaahaaai!"

"Kuku kaka kahahahaha!"

"Nabeshima, you're laughing at my ear! Urk… stop choking me!"

Almost a minute later, the ride finally reached its destination at a large pool, landing on the water that splashed wildly. The strawberry-blonde was reduced to a crying mess as he cried for his mother, while her secretary continued her crazed laugh.

Medaka smiled.

Nekomi sure was right; a water slide with friends was definitely a lot of fun.

-000-

"I hate that slide," Zenkichi grumbled, slumping on a circular table in a tropics-themed restaurant inside the water park, his plate of yakisoba untouched. In front of him were the two thrill-seeking monsters enjoying their respective orders — Nabeshima with her fish and chips and Medaka with one of everything the establishment could offer.

"Stop complaining already. We heard you, like, a hundred times before we came here."

"No. I want you to know my pain."

Seriously, if he weren't who he was, he would have already been dead with how she choked the life out of him.

"Hey, it wasn't like that. You should know; girl got excited and held on to the closest thing she could hold on for reassurance. It's a standard in such situations."

"Then why my neck?"

"I already said I'm sorry."

Zenkichi sighed, closing his eyes as he rubbed his forehead, his anger weakening with how sincerely sorry the green-haired girl looked. Ugh, why was he so damn weak against girls?

"Are you actually not feeling well, Zenkichi?"

"What do you think?" he absent-mindedly said in irritation, not realizing that the one who he said it to was his childhood friend.

"Ah…. I apologize."

Zenkichi widened his eyes and saw a subdued purple-haired superwoman. "Ah, wait I'm not angry with you, Medaka-chan."

"Really?"

He nodded, earning him a beaming smile from her.

"Ehhh…. What about me, Zenkichi-kun?"

He sighed for the umpteenth time that day. "Apology accepted."

Nabeshima grinned, which then got wider. "Hey, open your mouth."

"Huh?"

"Just open it."

"Okay." He did as she said, remembering his punishment of subservience.

The catty secretary then took a deep-fried potato fry, saying, "Here goes," and threw it into his wide-open mouth.

Zenkichi munched on the potato goodness. "What was that?"

"Don't know, just wanted to do it. You like it?"

"Yeah." He never elaborated… but he liked that she fed him and couldn't care about the flavor of the French fry itself. However, he could not help but feel as though he was pet being fed by his owner.

"Zenkichi."

"Huh?"

Medaka unceremoniously plunged a greasy fried chicken leg into his mouth.

"Gurk!"

"You like it, Zenkichi?"

"Urmphhh, prmmmph pff urk." Nope, he did not like it one bit. Thankfully, for him, his mouth was stuffed with a fried fowl leg so his reflex complaint was unintelligible. He did an a-ok sign.

"I'm glad."

Munching on the oily food and pulling out the bone from his mouth, he finally let out sigh of relief. "What was that?"

"I'm following the lead of Secretary Nekomi."

"O~kay…."

"Zenkichi."

"Huh?"

Nabeshima stuffed his mouth with a handful of fried potatoes.

After gulping the mouthful, he asked, "Are you two bullying me or something?"

"What? You should be happy two girls are feeding you," Nabeshima answered raising an eyebrow.

"More like—"

He never finished as he saw Medaka's sad look. "So you don't like it?"

Zenkichi gulped his own saliva, steeling himself. Like they say, a man's got to do what a man's got to do, so he gave a strained smiled and said, "Of course I do. Keep them coming!" giving a thumbs up.

Thus, Zenkichi was hospitalized for overeating…, which would have happened if not for the timely arrival of his old rival, Kouki Akune.

"I seriously hate you, Zenkichi."

Zenkichi never thought he would be so happy of Akune's presence. However, here he was, joyful when he heard the blonde's voice, for it also halted his suffering in the hands of the catty secretary and the dark president.

Zenkichi reached out his hand and pleadingly looked into his eyes, unable to talk with the amount of food in his mouth

However, instead of going about how the blonde wanted his place, Akune's anger only morphed into a smirk when the current Judo Captain realized his state. "But I think you deserve this reward, your work in the council is hard after all."

He cursed inwardly, unable to say anything, so he opted on raising his middle finger at the smirking male.

"Zenkichi! You shouldn't do such a dirty sign," Medaka said, reminiscent of his mother's lecture voice.

Zenkichi sighed and relented, dropping the middle finger as he clenched his hand into a fist.

Akune's smirk only got wider, deciding to ignore him as the bastard began talking with the girls.

Damn that bastard blonde!

"Where's Tanigawa-chan and Hoshizumi-chan?" Nabeshima asked as she finished her fried fish.

"They're getting ready. So you guys going to join the event?"

"Yes." Medaka grinned. "Do your best, Junior Akune. I'm looking forward to competing against you."

"As expected of Medaka-san. Anyway, so have you guys tried the "The Twisting Drop" yet?"

"Yep, it sure was awesome."

"I enjoyed it immensely."

His eye-path-less secretary and purple-haired president said at the same time while he could only utter a single "Ugh," after he finally managed to down the stuffing in his mouth.

"Hoo, so even Medaka-san enjoyed it…."

"Haven't you tried it yet?" Nabeshima asked.

"Not yet… Ringo-san is afraid of heights. Though I'm planning to, next time I come here."

"I hope she'll be okay, because I think one of the events would involve that large covered structure there," Medaka said, worried.

"Really? Hmm…. Now that's a problem.…" Akune said as his rubbed his chin, mulling over the sudden problem.

"Just let her decide," Nabeshima said, waving her hand noncommittally.

The blonde nodded. "I think I'll do that."

Suddenly, a familiar chime began to play all over the water park, halting their conversation. A very pleasant and familiar voice then began to reverberate all over the place, shortly stopping the activities of the pool goers.

"Good afternoon, dear costumers. This is an announcement. The Happy Cthully Water Park Grand Opening Day Event will be starting. Again, the Happy Cthully Water Park Grand Opening Day Event will be starting. For contestants, gather at the Water Park's General Assembly Stage for registration. Please be guided accordingly. That's all. Have a good day."

"Well, see you there." With that last remark, Akune left.

"C'mon guys, let's go," The green-haired senior urged, standing from her seat at the same time as Medaka.

"Yes."

"C-can I not come?" Zenkichi asked. Just the thought of experiencing something similar to that crazy slide made him hesitate.

"No," both girls said at the same time.

"I thought so."

-000-

Incessant chatter, curios looks, laughter and murmurs, people were crowding in front of the stage. How troublesome.

People of different age groups gathered, some still lining up for registration. Men and women, children, teenagers, and grown-ups all looking at her direction, seemingly waiting for a gospel that would save them from their meaningless live.

Ah, such a bother.

Why was she doing this again?

Right….

How she wanted to cut up something… anything….

Maybe she could do a comedy skit… nah, not worth it.

Namanie tossed her microphone once, catching it as it fell into her hand. The job was like tossing an object; after reaching the top, it can only go down.

If not for Zenkichi, it would have been a droll experience.

Speaking of the strawberry-blonde, she searched for him within the crowd. She spied him trying his hardest to be as inconspicuous as possible, as he stood amongst the crowd with the rest of the Hakoniwa Student Council, the males around them glaring at him. Namanie felt a small twitch on her lips.

She ignored the two girls, completely focused on Zenkichi, who was still doing his best on avoiding the hateful glares. Then suddenly, he looked at her and smiled. She blushed, glad that her green bikini was doing its job. Maybe the event wasn't that bothersome.

Noticing her fiancé's actions, the Kurokami heir and the supposed cat girl narrowed their eyes suspiciously at her.

Hmm, why were those two angry with her…?

How classic.

With a small intake of air — seeing as the registration was finally finished — she began.

Namanie checked her microphone, tapping the spherical top. As she heard the echoing rhythmic taps from the large speaker behind her, she nodded, satisfied. She turned it off.

"Hey, game loli, everything ready?"

"Don't call me loli, Namanie, and yes, I'm ready," her fellow fiancé, who was wearing a flowery and cute one-piece swimsuit with a skirt, said as she climbed up the stage, turning her microphone on. She then gestured at the workers, who were in-charge of the electronics, near the stage. Not a second later, the gigantic LED screen behind them turned on, showing the both of them standing on the stage.

"Good."

Namanie turned her own microphone on.

"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Namanie Nienami of Ariake Fishing Company and welcome to Ruki—"

"How many times do I have to tell you that 'Happy Cthully Water Park' is the freaking name of this freaking place!?"

"Uh, Happy Cthully Water Park…" she coughed, "the place where cosmic horror and watery fun join forces for all your summer needs," her almost monotone voice echoed. The audience just stared at her. She did not care.

The Momozono heir clicked her tongue in irritation, but then shook her head as she began to grin. She then began to talk with all the fanfare that she could, which was… being her… a lot. "And I am Momo Momozono of Genzou Gaming Industries. With our opening day, we've concocted an event that would leave you mad enough to praise the name of Cthulhu!"

The crowd cheered.

As expected, the small illusionist girl definitely knew how to rile up an audience.

"Now let me explain," Namanie began with her part. "There will be three events to determine the winner; the team that will have the most points in the end will bring home the reward. Of course, the losers should not fret, as there are also prizes for the groups in the second and third places while the rest will have consolation prizes.

"However, let me tell you first the general rules for the three events. I warn you, these rules are a must so going against them will mean disqualification for your team. First, as you already know, only three members per group. Children below twelve aren't allowed. Second, you must all wear floaters. We of the Cthully Water Park value your safety utmost. That's all."

"Well, did you guys get it!?" Momo took over.

The crowd roared in approval, excited.

"Good, because we won't repeat it again."

The crowd roared again… how stupid.

"Well then, let's begin."

Both Namanie and Momo turned around to look at the humungous screen, which was now showing a gigantic wave pool devoid of people. The large screen then switched to a cartoon that explained the first event, her small business partner taking up the role as the narrator to explain the rules.

"The first event will be a Four Legged Race! As you can see, this will be a hard event. We're not going to give out ten million yen just like that. You guys have to work hard for it! As you people should have guessed, this event will be a simple race, however, the three people in the group will have their legs tied up together to mimic the event's name and swim this Olympic-sized pool against the artificial current!

"Of course, the team who will finish the fastest will receive a full hundred; with subsequent placers receiving a deduction of ten points. Yes, only ten teams will receive any points, the others will receive nothing. In addition, the teams that can't even finish the course will be disqualified for the whole event. Clear?"

As expected of the Momozono heir, there were no complaints from the audience and would-be contestants, as their roars of approval could attest.

With that all said and done, Namanie took over. "With the explanation of the first event finished, I ask the contestant to please be guided by our employees to the pool showed on the screen. To those who will only watch, there will be free drinks. I hope you all enjoy the event."

At last, she was done… too bad there was more.

"You suck at this," Momo commented the moment they left the stage.

After they handed over the microphone to the workers, both of them then began the walk towards the event area.

"Really? I thought I did an excellent job out there."

"Talking lackadaisically is not an excellent job in my book."

"It is in mine."

"Cheeky fish face." Momo sighed. "And when you have such a good voice..."

"This and that are different."

"Well, at least you're useful as eye candy."

"I have a 'look but no touch' policy."

"Uhuh… you do know we still have two events, adding to that, we also have to do a commentary of each event too, right?"

"Ah, what a pain in the ass."

"Just do your job."

"O~kaay."

"Don't forget why we are doing this." The small girl in the mop cap narrowed her baggy eyes at her.

"I came here for the money."

"Well I'll give you that, but you know what I'm talking about."

"I do?"

"You know? I don't care anymore. Do whatever you want…. Just don't botch the job."

Of course, she wouldn't. It was as important to Namanie as to the Momozono heir walking beside her. Though…

"I still think we're overdoing things…."

"We've discussed this already; we must do this to avoid future complications with the zaibatsu. The others have already done their part."

"I know… I know…."

Ah, how she wanted to decapitate something.

-000-

Zenkichi was twitching, the softness… paralyzing.

However, even with his addled senses, he still had to admit that, yes, Akune was right. Many students from Hakoniwa joined the event, with the majority being familiar faces from the time he was surveying clubs. The said clubs had representatives that numbered from a group to four groups of three each — throwing numbers was definitely a valid strategy in his book.

Still, the implications were worrying. They sure need to finish the budgeting of club funds soon.

"Stop squirming, Zenkichi-kun."

"It's hard to tie our legs together if you keep moving, Zenkichi."

However, even though he was thinking hard about the council's problem, the feeling of being in marshmallow heaven kept him from divining a solution, the sensation of blood rushing to key parts of his anatomy distracting him. The soft feeling was so overwhelming that he could not even feel the coarse band straps his teammates were attaching to his ankles on both his legs, tying them to their respective smooth and very female counterparts.

"There, I'm finished."

"Same."

Medaka and Nabeshima stood up at the same time.

"Let's try walking."

"Then in the count of three. One, two, three."

With Zenkichi still in his marshmallow-induced catatonia, the sudden movements made him fall back first on the floor.

"Ow…?" he reflexively said, not even feeling the pain.

"Presence of mind, Zenkichi-kun," Nabeshima said, smiling knowingly while she and Medaka offered their hands to help him stand up.

He gladly took them. "Sorry."

"Let's try again," his purple-haired childhood friend said.

With grunts of affirmation from him and the green-haired secretary, they began to walk, his left and right hands clinging to Nabeshima and Medaka's respective waists while they themselves clung to him, slowly at first until they got the rhythm — which was quite easy to his surprise. He could feel the glares around him intensifying. However, he was too much into his cloud nine to even care.

"You're enjoying this too much, Zenkichi-kun," Nabeshima suddenly said, grinning with red cheeks while her eyes narrowed. Toned and firm, with a hint of feminine softness… very sports oriented.

"What makes you think that, Nabeshima-senpai?"

"Your expression is… unusual." Medaka said, avoiding his gaze, her face flushed. It was an effective combination of firmness and suppleness, as expected.

"Unusual?"

"What Medaka-chan's trying to say is… well… you have a very creepy smile on your face."

"Huh?" Creepy? What was Nabeshima talking about? Hmm, both were smooth, with a hint of muscle, enough to define training. However, even if both were great, he was still biased to his childhood friend.

"You know… the ones you usually see on molesters."

"Really? What makes you say that?" Zenkichi was utterly confused. Not that the green-haired secretary was lacking… it was just… his childhood friend was just perfect.

"Well, there's the way you're rubbing your hands all over our stomachs."

"You don't like it?" He said, not really noticing the connotation of what he asked.

"Ah… I don't dislike it…." Medaka answered. Yep, that's why she was his childhood friend… the moments when she acted cute made all the troublesome experience worth it.

"Regardless if we like what you are doing or not, we're still in public… furthermore, we still have an event to win."

"Uhuh…" Then again, perfection can be quite dull sometimes… Yep, there was no one better; both were perfect in different ways.

Ah, such enlightenment…. Such feeling of bliss was better than the very truth of the Multiverse, better than the pinnacle of Buddhism.

Nabeshima sighed. "Do you want another mauling?"

Zenkichi's eyes widened, his enlightenment gone with the wind. "M-mauling… wait… no!" He let go of their waists, raising his hands like a wanted criminal in the process. "Please… I'm sorry… I was not myself! Blame it on hormones!"

"Kuku… do you really think such a flimsy excuse will work on me?" The girl in the black sporty two-piece bikini raised her one hand threateningly. She then snapped her fingers, startling him. "However, that will do for now, we still have a race to win."

"Focus, Zenkichi." The girl in the white string bikini made a succinct comment, her flushed expression replaced with her usual stern façade.

He nodded vigorously, hiding his hands behind his back.

"Pfft, how pathetic!" someone said, earning their attention. It was a familiar tanned blonde with a vicious grin. Beside him were the mascot girl and the very captain of the Swimming Club. "With that kind of attitude, I doubt you guys would be a challenge."

"Oh? If it isn't the girl in the mascot costume from earlier. You're also competing?" Medaka said, ignoring the blonde as she focused on the ponytailed girl.

However, the mascot girl, who was now wearing a black one-piece Speedo, ignored his childhood friend, her earlier embarrassed expression replaced with a very cold and calculating look.

"Oh? Are you angry at what I did earlier? For what it's worth, I apologize."

The tanned blonde stepped up front of the group, hiding the mascot girl behind him, demonstrating how synchronized the three were as their ankles where already tied to each other. "Oh, so you were the guys that gave our kouhai trouble earlier, huh. You should pay her for the damages."

"Wait…," Nabeshima said, getting in between the blonde and Medaka, Zenkichi moving accordingly to give the green-haired secretary a bit of freedom. "Should we talk about this more… and I don't think Medaka-chan's actions with..."

"Mogana Kikaijima," the girl with the ponytailed girl suddenly said.

"Thank you, Kikaijima-chan. Anyway, I don't think my friend's earlier actions constitute to such drastic compensation."

"Huh? And how would you know that? You're not the one working."

"Calm down, Tanegashima." The familiar captain of the Swimming club finally stepped forward in the brewing argument, placing his hand on the tanned guy's shoulders. He then gave Nabeshima a friendly smile. "I'm sorry if he came to forceful, Nabeshima-san. He's really protective of Kikaijima."

"Nah… it's alright, Yakushima-kun."

"However, he still has a point. A monetary compensation will be appropriate for the moral damages the President had done to my precious kohai."

Nabeshima grinned. "Kuku… you guys are really obsessed with money. I understand."

"Hmm… I'm glad we see eye-to-eye. That would be about thirty-thousand yen."

"Hmm, so you want me to pay for the supposed damages I've done to Freshman Kikaijima. That can be arranged," Medaka said, understanding the situation.

"I'm glad we have a reasonable Student Council President."

Medaka grinned challengingly. "How about we make this a challenge in accordance to the ongoing event? If your group wins, I'll pay triple of the supposed amount you want me to pay, and if I win, I won't pay a single yen and your club will owe me a favor."

"Triple eh…" Yakushima rubbed his goatee.

"Hyaha, are you stupid? We're the famous scholarship students of the Swimming Club! Challenging us in this event is just plain stupidity," Tanegashima said after a burst of mocking laughter.

However, the purple-haired girl was undaunted, still grinning. "You call it stupidity, I call it fun."

"We accept," Kikaijima answered for their group.

"Excellent." Medaka widened her grin.

Nabeshima sighed. "Well, our leader has spoken." She then smiled, reminiscent of the Cheshire cat. "It is a challenge."

"Wait, what about my opinion?" Zenkichi asked, deciding to get a much-needed dialogue. It was his POV after all.

"Shut up."

"Quiet."

Both council girls said at the same time.

"Okay."

Zenkichi could definitely feel it… the dread of his upcoming suffering.

-000-

Sitting on a chair where her feet could not reach the ground, resting her arms on a cheap table with a microphone in front, and a cheap portable open tarpaulin tent shielding her from the sun's rays — it was a recipe for a usual, tiring job for Momo Momozono. Add to the mix a girl who could not even bother to put effort on her current job… she decided to sigh.

She may not look like it, but she values professionalism as much as that Kanaino girl does. Thus, as her professionalism demanded — even if Namanie was right at how boring the job was — she gave it her all.

Therefore, she grinned, and spoke as cheery as possible with her hoarse voice. "Again, good afternoon everybody, this is Momo Momozono of Genzou Gaming Industries as your commentator for today. With me is Namanie Nienami of the Ariake Fishing Company."

"Hello," the redhead beside her spoke in a bored monotone, grooming her nails with a blade she probably pulled out from under her skirt.

It was irritating, but again, it was expected. Namanie was always like that ever since she first met her.

"Thank you for that short greeting, Namanie. Anyway, we are here in Happy Cthully Water Park's Olympic Size wave fool for the first event of the day."

"In other words, it's a pool for pussies."

"Not everyone is as talented in swimming as you, Namanie."

"Meh."

Momo shook her head; at least fish face was entertaining in her own way.

"Why do we have an Olympic size wave pool anyway?" the redhead suddenly asked.

She grinned. "Why can't we?"

"Point."

"Anyway, before we start, we would like to endorse a few establishments. To those who aren't in the know, watch out for the opening of the new Hakoniwa Super Mall — a place where your dreams come true! In addition, Hakoniwa General Hospital is now spanking new, so if you've got some health problems or worse, if you've got the dreaded Japanese Cold, check it out! This is a part of Kurokami Group's plan of rapid economization of the surrounding lands of the Academy. Remember! Kurokami Group Cares!

"Bah, too much work."

"Quite." Momo nodded in understanding at her partner's comment. "With that done, let's get back to the event, it seems the contestants have now finished lining up for the race. I'm sure it's hard to keep their selves floating."

Momo could also notice Zenkichi looking very nervous, sandwiched by his female compatriots in the Student Council. She should be jealous, but to be honest, she couldn't. Being part of a supposed harem only made such feelings hypocritical. It's not like she wasn't receiving any love from him… even with her small stature….

She groaned… it was not a time for such introspection. She had a job to do.

"Is it really that hard? They still have their floaters," Namanie said beside her as she juggled several knives with a very bored expression.

It was right on cue.

"Definitely! Especially for the person who will be in the center of the trio, as he must consider both of his partners' movements and synchronize himself with two entirely different people. And even with the floaters, such feat is still a lot of trouble."

"I tried synchronizing with someone special once. It felt really good."

Okay, that definitely came out of nowhere….

"I definitely don't want to hear that."

Seriously, they were in public, in microphones no less!

"What? Did I say something?"

"You're baiting me aren't you?"

"Yep."

"I really hate you sometimes."

"Meh."

Momo grumbled. Still, she shook herself from her brewing irritation.

"However, don't worry folks; we have a team of lifeguards all over the pool, so our contestants' safety is assured!"

"Pussies, I tell you."

She ignored the redhead. "Back to the race, it seems a lot of people quit already…. Hehe, too bad for them. Therefore, that leaves us with, huh… still a lot… And get this, most of them are students from Hakoniwa Academy, as expected of the prestigious high school! We have the famous Judo Club, the Swimming Club, the Kendo Club, the Athletics Club and even the Student Council to name a few."

"Wow… that's very specific of you, Momo."

"Hey!"

"Not that I can't blame you."

Of course she couldn't, it was advertisement after all.

"So who do you think will win?"

"Why are you asking me? I'm not a Kugurugi."

"It's the principle behind it, fish face."

"Principle shminciple."

"Ignoring my idiotic partner, it seems our referee is now starting the race."

The loud sound of the signal gun firing echoed.

"A~nd there goes the race… Wow, we sure are having a competition here, especially with the Swimming Club and the Student Council, as both are actually swimming to the other end of the pool, a close to impossible feat with the artificial current and the tied-up legs! Look at how the Swimming Club glides through the water! For all I know, these three are actually part fish!"

Hoh, it seems Namanie's part-timers weren't all talk after all. Momo grinned. Now the water park would not be dishing out ten million yen for those hopeless losers.

"They are part of the Hakoniwa's Swimming Club after all." The said girl nodded proudly beside her.

Then there was the Kurokami heir's group.

"However, what the student council team was doing was even more astonishing! Hilarious even! The two girls of the team are swimming for all their worth without care, not even doing the synchronizing thing, crashing to the waves like a truck as they dragged their only male member screaming!"

"Please, gurk!… make… puwa!… it… gah!... stop!" Zenkichi's screams echoed his female teammates dragged him on his back, the waves crashing mercilessly into his flailing body.

It still surprised her how his fiancé would go to such lengths to keep up with his self-imposed illusion…. Well, at least it was fun to watch.

"How merciless! I'm sure the guys who were glaring at him earlier are now satisfied."

Satisfied, more like scared.

"However, with the guy being a dead weight, the student council is now at a disadvantage."

"Swimming in synchronicity while dragging a body against the waves is extremely hard unless you're me."

Momo glared at Namanie. "Enough bragging already! We already heard enough of your—" However, her verbal smack down was interrupted by the roar from the audience. "Well, well, well…. It seems we have a winner folks. Unsurprisingly, the swimming club won the first event with the Student Council a close second. Both were then followed by the Judo Club and more."

"Good job."

"Well, that ends our first event. Let us now tally the results. Swimming Club now has a hundred points, the Student Council group now has ninety points, the Judo Club eighty points, and—"

Momo began to tally points… work, work.

-000-

Zenkichi spat out pool water, trying his best to get rid of the taste of chlorine in his mouth, his hand on his knees. His breathing was ragged, his voice hoarse from all the screaming.

"I don't want to do that ever again," he managed to let out.

"Man, we only got second place."

"Even Zenkichi's sacrifice wasn't enough."

Nabeshima and Medaka said respectively, watching a nearby television for the current score tally.

"I really want to hate you girls."

"But you won't. Take this as payment for the groping you did earlier."

Ah, so it ends up to that, huh. Zenkichi let out a groan. He already said he was sorry. But nope, it wasn't enough. They had to drag him across 50 meters of pool water against the artificial currents, almost drowning him in the process. It was worse than that Water Cure torture.

Remember kiddies, don't suddenly grope your female companions unless they're your wife or something, or else, you might end up as a bloated corpse.

"Hyaha! Take that, losers!" the tanned blonde taunted as he approached them with his club mates in tow.

"Hey, we're not done yet. There's still two events," Nabeshima said, her eyes twitching.

"And what makes you think you guys will win the next two?"

"Because if all the events are in favor of your team, the crowd will get suspicious," Medaka answered, surprisingly sharp.

"That's a tall accusation you have there…" the senior with the goatee said with a raised eyebrow.

"It's obvious from the start; especially since you three are working in this water park."

"Correct." Yakushima grinned. "Not that we're hiding it. But we're not only good in swimming, you know."

"We'll do anything if there's money! We laugh for a yen, and die for one too!" Tanegashima added, making his childhood friend's eyes narrow.

"Die for a yen? What poppycock. We're not stupid, what you did back there was dangerous. A single mistake from any one of you would've been catastrophic to your group."

"Is that a pot calling a kettle black? Don't be a hypocrite."

"Zenkichi's special… he won't be harmed by something like that," Nabeshima defended.

"Regardless… you don't have enough moral ground to tell us what we must do."

"Moral ground? Who needs such thing when I see something inherently wrong! Laughing for a yen? Dying for a yen? It doesn't make sense! I tell you one truth I have discovered on this world. In the end, no amount of money in the world will help you in finding true happiness! Remember this; I will reform you three from such self-destructive thoughts by the end of this event!"

The three were flabbergasted, mouths open from such declaration from Medaka Kurokami's [Proof of One's Worth #1: Preaching to the Lesser Mortals]. Then suddenly, the girl known as Mogana Kikaijima launched herself towards his childhood friend, her face distorted by hate and rage. If not for the ponytailed girl's companions restraining her, there would have been a fight.

"Wrong? Wrong!? It's you who's wrong! How can you understand anyway? You're a Kurokami! A real-life princess! Do you think you'll understand us who are crawling on the ground? Huh, do you!? Well damn you! I'll take that reform crap of yours and shove it down your naïve throat!"

"Kikaijima, calm down," Yakushima said, shaking his head, trying his best to calm the enraged ponytailed girl, of which he succeeded. He then turned to glare at Medaka. "Let's cut this talk short. See you in the next event."

The trio then left for the next event, but not before an intense glare from the tanned blonde.

There was a long silence before Medaka decided to break it.

"I'm not wrong. Right, Zenkichi?"

"No, you're not, Medaka-chan."

"It's just a case of a 'grass is greener on the other side.' To be honest, I also find their obsession for money to be quite abnormal," the green-haired secretary said, shaking her head.

"I'm sure there's a very deep reason they're like that."

"Well, I did hear some rumors about the Kikaijima girl—"

"Sorry, Secretary Nekomi, but I don't want to hear it. Regardless of her circumstances, I must correct their way thinking."

"Hmm… oh well. I'm in. I'm sure your planning something more than beating them." Nabeshima grinned, hands on the back of her head.

"I'll do my best to help you too, Medaka-chan," Zenkichi said. She wasn't wrong, this he was confident of. Truth be told, he doesn't care about the Swimming Clubs circumstances.

They were inconsequential.

"Thank you," Medaka smiled.

At that moment, his heart skipped a beat.

-000-

The loud whirling of the helicopter blades was annoying; though it was not loud enough to hinder them in their job. The wide doors were open on their left and right, the wind blowing harshly that Momo decided to exchange her usual mop cap with a vintage World War II M1 helmet.

The table, chairs, and a television were screwed stuck on the metal floor, their microphones held strong on the table with clamps, and of course, the cameraman was with them, nervously broadcasting her and Namanie's faces all over the water park — it was an unusual but also a welcome set up, far from the monotony her life usually was. Her small body was also buckled down on the chair, same with her redhead companion.

The helicopter they were on was circling over the large structure covered in tarpaulin, where several other helicopters hovered with metallic ropes clamped on the synthetics cover's key parts ready for their signal.

"Hello again, everybody."

"Haro."

"Thank you, Namanie, for that short and very stereotypical greeting. We welcome you to the next event of Happy Cthully Water Park's Grand Opening Day. Anyway, before we begin, I'm sure you guys are curious as to what's behind the large tarpaulin. Well… the wait is over!" She saw the worker behind the camera move the contraption, now filming several helicopters rising, carrying with them the large tarpaulin, to unveil the water park's greatest attraction. "I present to you, guys and girls, the longest, the largest, and the tallest waterslide in the world, the 'Mountain of Madness!'"

Namanie whistled. "That's a really awesome slide…."

Momo was also impressed, as expected of the zaibatsu. The structure was looming, humungous, even with modern day standards. It was even large enough to cover a quarter of the water park with its shadow, and the water park was as large as a bustling German town.

"See? Even my droll companion is impressed!" She then began to read the words flashed on the television screen. "Boasting a height of two hundred meters, a length of a kilometer, with ten tubes branching into more for unlimited fun, and twisting to almost impossible shapes, it's the craziest, the most awesome, and the most expensive water slide ever made by man!"

"…I definitely want to try that."

"Yup, it sure had that kind of effect. Furthermore, it's been clocked that a ride will reach up to eighty kilometers per hour with the rider experiencing up to two-point-five G's. That's like forty-five seconds of pure unadulterated fun!"

"…I sure want to get some of that."

"It's definitely the best. Also, it is where our next event will happen!"

"Damn." Suddenly, the Nienami heir's hands were on her shoulders, the redhead's lazy eyes boring into hers. "Can I join?" She was uncharacteristically serious for once that day.

Momo grinned. Too bad for the redhead.

"Nope."

"Awww."

She shook her head at how her fellow commentator-for-the-day acted.

"Maybe after everything, we could try it."

"Nice."

With that finished, Momo snapped her fingers, earning the cameraman's attention, making him turn back the camera towards them.

"Now you people might be curious. What will be the event?" She paused for dramatic effect. "It's the 'Initial D Tofu Challenge!' Don't worry folks; we paid for copyright! Anyway, the next event will be each group experiencing the awesomeness that is the 'Mountain of Madness'."

Momo then cupped her hand to her ears, nodding, acting as though she was hearing the disappointed groans of the audience.

"What? Lame you say?"

She grinned.

"But there's more! In relation to the event's namesake, each group will be carrying a cup of water with a cube of tofu inside. Whoever has the least damaged tofu after the ride will be the winner. Yep, you've got that right. It's to mimic the said series' rush of keeping the tofu fresh as they go down the extreme ride!"

"Isn't it easier since they're not driving a souped up Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86?" Namanie asked. "They could focus more on keeping the tofu safe."

"Haha, of course not! With how much twists and turns the slide has, and going at high speeds against heavy G's, it's almost impossible!"

"Huh… if you say so."

"And to make things even more interesting, any group that won't have any tofu left in their cup won't be entering the next event. Ahahaha!"

"If it's impossible, why are we even doing this?"

"Like I said, 'almost impossible', there still a very small chance a group would succeed in the end."

"Hmm… and if no one succeeds?"

"Then move on to the next event."

"Well… it's ten million after all, that's not some chump change you would give to a beggar."

"Exactly…." Then she noticed something on the television screen. It was a blonde male bowing to the worker assigned as the judge while a small sad-looking girl and a taller smiling girl, who was patting the smaller girl in the head, stood behind him. "Hooh, it seems a group decided to quit even before they began…. I don't know exactly the reason behind such decision but it seems the group consisting of Judo Club members is now out of the race!" Curious, Momo turned to her companion and said, "Say, do we have some field interviewers?"

"Ahhh…. Let's see…" Namanie said, pulling out a tablet. After sliding and pressing her fingers a couple of times, she shook her head. "Nope."

"No one?"

"Nope…. If we did have some, we would not be here commentating."

Namanie had a point. Sometimes Momo wondered how a group of companies capable of building such a modern wonder wouldn't have the resources to hire an actual media crew to do the commentating….

She sighed.

Then again, the Kurokami Zaibatsu was unconventional enough to do just that.

"Oh well, the mystery as to why why such a promising team quit will continue to remain a mystery.…"

"Too bad."

Too bad indeed.

"Anyway, there are still a lot of teams left. Special mention to the Swimming Club team and the Student Council team, who both showed unparalleled performances in the first event."

Suddenly, her companion nudged her to turn her attention towards the television. "Hey, they're starting."

"Oh, it seems the first batch of contestants had already arrived at the top. And among the first to try the monster slide is a group of delinquent looking teenagers… huh… it turned out they're part of the newly reformed Kendo Club."

"Bunch of daredevils from what I could see."

In addition, from what she could tell, those numb-skulls definitely heard her, particularly with how a guy with a scar on his face acted.

"Did he just give us the middle finger?"

"Sure did, quite amusing really."

Momo grunted at such juvenile act.

"Uhuh… too bad I won't fall for such stupid act. Anyway, let's ignore them and read some fan letters." She pulled towards her a pink box from the side to make it visible to the camera.

"We have fan letters?"

"Yeah…." She opened it, pulling out a number of small white envelopes. She opened one of them and began to read. "Let's see… You are my loli goddess… okay… the great usurper of my virgin heart. Heal my pain with your overwhelming pure love… more stupid sentences…. Sincerely, Mr. Bear."

"Wow… that's some letter." Namanie grinned mockingly.

"Shut up…. Anyway, Mr. Bear… I may not look like it, but I'm already sixteen years old, so according to this country's law, I am legal. Also, sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm already engaged. So in your dreams, Mr. Pedobear!"

"Heh, that's actually funny."

"Moving on…" Momo opened another letter… she grinned. "It's a letter for you, Namanie."

"Really? What's it say?"

"Hmm… Dear Redheaded Hotty, can I meet you later outside the gate? You seem to be quite an adventurous gal. I'll definitely rock your world tonight… asterisk double wink asterisk… From Mister Swag."

"Well, Mister Swag…." Her voice was low, her eyes, almost hidden by her red locks, closed. She muttered one word. "Ruki…" Then she returned to her usual bored expression as she stared at the camera. "Sure… make sure to bring a bag full of tissues because there will a lot of blood after I'm done with you. Don't worry, you'll stay fresh since I'm bringing my trusty ice box, can't let Shiro-chan eat some rotten meat."

"Isn't Shiro your pet great white shark?"

"Sure is. Really cute fella. Anyway, Mistah Swag, don't chicken out on me okay? Shiro-chan is actually getting sick of eating chicken meat so your timing is just perfect…."

"Uhuh… that's a nice thought there Namanie. However, I'm sorry, but no killing costumers."

"Hmm… now that's a bummer…"

She placed a hand on the redhead's shoulders. "Calm down, okay? Seriously, you shouldn't have said that bit about synchronization earlier."

"Ahh… yeah… I'll keep that in mind…."

Momo then stared at the letters still in the box and sighed.

"Others might say a third time's a charm, but twice is enough for me." She said, tossing the box and the letters behind her like the trash they were. She then decided to check up on what's happening in the event area. "Now let's see, hmm, it seemed all groups in the first batch are disqualified for losing the tofu from their respective cups. Hehe, too bad."

The contraption was now showing groups getting pissed, throwing their empty cups in irritation, particularly that loser with the scar on his face who was cursing in front of the camera. Momo let out short laugh, suits the loser right.

"Good for you."

"Quite."

The TV then switched its perspective back to the top of the slide, showing a new batch of teams.

"They got there pretty fast," Namanie said.

"There's a large elevator enough to carry ten elephants there, you know."

"And why can't we hire actual commentators?"

"Beats me." Momo shrugged. "Anyway, the next set of contestants will now consist of both the Student Council team and the Swimming Club team. So, who do you think would win?"

"Hmm… dunno."

"Well, that's just shows how unpredictable this event is! Okay, they are now strapping themselves in their respective rides and are now being handed their respective cups containing the precious tofu."

"Hey, why did we ignore the last batch? This explanation should have been done earlier."

"Do you think I care?"

"Well, the audience needs an explanation at least."

"Since when did you become the reasonable one?"

"Since now."

"Well, how about because the first batch was a bunch of losers."

"Works for me."

A gunshot stole both of their attention towards the on-board television.

"And with the signal of our referee, the last ten groups began their ride!"

Then… there was nothing but panoramic shots of the gigantic slide coupled with a tune she would usually hear on the elevator.

"You, know, this is actually very boring to watch," Namanie said, her close to monotone voice oozing with more boredom than usual.

Momo understood the blade fanatic's sentiment. "I know… too bad this slide used closed tubes."

"Well, if it didn't, they would have been dead right now."

"It would have been very funny."

"Heh, bodies raining from the sky…. You know, this reminds me of that one time where it rained fish on the island. Disgusting really, the dead fishes were all over the place… and the smell… ugh."

"Hoh, I thought you would like it."

"You know, if we go back three years from now, I would have decapitated you for that comment."

"If it was back then, you would be dead before you could even blink."

Both of them let out a reminiscent sigh at the same time.

"A lot has changed huh…." Namanie said, shaking her head.

"Yeah…." However, it seemed their remembrance of the past would be cut short as the television was now showing subsequent splashes on the circular pool surrounding the mega-structure. "Anyway, it seems all of them are finished now."

"Hmm… at least this batch is smarter… some of them covered their cup with their hands."

"Heh, too bad that would only make the tofu damaged beyond recognition."

"At least they're still in the event."

"If only no one between the two crowd favorites managed to safeguard their tofu, that is."

"Well, why don't we look?"

The television screen was now showing both the Swimming Club group and the Student Council group walking towards the referee. Both teams were obviously confrontational, particularly with how they behaved with each other. They then placed their respective cups on a table in front of the nervous worker acting as a judge. The camera zoomed in on the pair of tofu.

"Hmm, both are quite undamaged," Momo began, narrowing her eyes at the image the contraption was showing.

"Nah… if you look at the Swimming Club's tofu, there's a small depression on one side."

"Now that you mention it, yep… there sure is. Well, that clinches it. The Student Council group wins the round."

"How are we going to score the Swimming Club team?"

She grinned as an idea to make things a bit more interesting came to her.

"Why not make it a tie in the tally boards, both teams now having one hundred and ninety points."

"Sure." Namanie then began tinkering with her tablet, distributing points among the remaining groups.

Momo sighed, one last even and they would be finally done.

"Now that's the end of this event. See you again after these short commercials."

"We don't have commercials."

"I wish we had."

"Yeah…."

-000-

Nekomi was stretching, feeling positively good under the looming structure that was the so-called "Mountain of Madness".

"Now that was a ride."

_Wheee! Can we do it again?_

Too bad, they could not do it again for the day.

_Awww…._

Still, she was glad they trusted Zenkichi with the cup of tofu as she fully enjoyed it.

_Hm, hm! Nothing less but excellence from him!_

"You have a great sense of balance and focus, Zenkichi. Thanks to you, I have enjoyed the ride immensely without worry," Medaka said beside her, also in the same mood.

"Yeah… I'm happy to help," he said, twitching nervously.

Too bad Akune's team was already out of the competition. Even Medaka and Zenkichi were surprised at such sudden turn of events. Then again, with what she knew about Hoshizumi's debilitating fear of heights, quitting was only natural. Such action was plus point in her opinion towards Akune for placing first his club mates than a competition and the prize. It definitely took some guts on forgoing a ten million prize for a club member's well being. Moreover, instead of getting disappointed and leaving the water park, the blonde captain and his team stayed, even giving support to her team, ignoring, of course, his snipes at Zenkichi.

Even if she was jealous of his talents, she was glad she chose him as her successor.

_Pretty good, for a mortal._

Anyway, thinking of a certain strawberry-blonde…

"So… how did you do it?" Nekomi asked Zenkichi, as their group began walking towards the venue of the next event, also earning Medaka's attention.

"Do what?" he asked back.

"You know.…"

With how intent the purple-haired girl in the string bikini was staring at Zenkichi, Nekomi was sure his friend was also interested in the hows of his feat.

_Don't expect the truth from him._

"Well…. I can't really explain it. It just happened. However, I do admit, I am confident with my hand-eye coordination. Maybe all those hours playing racing and rhythm games finally paid out." Zenkichi winked at them.

_Kya!_

He can be so mesmerizing sometimes… only sometimes….

Nekomi shook her head. "Heee… rhythm games huh…"

"I am also familiar with Initial D, you know. I just did the same as the thing as the protagonist to keep the tofu safe."

Oh how she wanted to slap him with his bullshit.

_I told you so._

He probably did some crazy Abnormal mumbo jumbo to keep the tofu undamaged. Seriously, she herself — even if she did enjoy it — was almost made sick by the ride down with all those twists and both vertical and horizontal three-sixty degree turns. Preserving perfectly the fragile soy product was just impossible within such conditions.

_Maybe…_

Now thinking about it, this only made the feat of the Swimming Club all the more amazing, given that she knew each member were just Specials. Unless of course there's more to them than meets the eye… nah. She knew Yakushima for more than two years already. The only thing the goateed Captain of the Swimming Club had was his amazing talent in swimming… or maybe such skill of his was the mystery in first place.

_Kuku, there no mystery here… just the fishy truth._

Nekomi inwardly cursed…. The voice was more cryptic than usual.

"Say, Nabeshima-senpai… can you tell me more about the Swimming Club?" Zenkichi suddenly asked, interrupting her from her thoughts and changing the direction of their discussion.

"Well, I could, but Medaka-chan..."

"Don't worry about me, Secretary Nekomi. Just don't divulge anything private."

The purple-haired president probably didn't want some sad back-story to keep her from exacting reform on such skewed individuals. Though Nekomi doubted such stories would even affect her friend anyway when she was in such a state.

_Tunnel vision is a very dangerous thing. It makes you lose sight on what's truly important._

What the hell was the voice talking about?

_Just giving out some pointers._

Pointers?

_Just go on with the explaining, okay?_

Nekomi was confused; still, she decided to do what the voice said.

"Well, let's start with my classmate, Umumichi Yakushima. Ignoring his obsession with money, he's a pretty cool guy. He's probably good with poker since most of the time I can't peg what he is thinking or what he wants to do. As for skills, well he's an all rounder and knows all the strokes and techniques on swimming."

She and Yakushima, even though they were classmates, were just casual acquaintances. Most of the time, they would just trade notes on management as captain of their respective clubs. Nothing grand, really. He was just another convenient person she knows.

_He smells so delicious!_

What!?

_Hey, I'm not implying sexual attraction here! It's just that… he really smells deliciously fishy, you know, like tuna… kinda like that one girl who was chummy with the unholy and divine him, though she also had that overpowering smell of blood…._

Before she could inquire about what the voice was talking about, Zenkichi interrupted her, asking an additional question.

"Okay… so he's good with swimming, what else?"

"Well, except for being the captain of the swimming club, which you two already know, I got nothing more about him," she answered, shaking her head after.

Well there are those rumors about his family splitting because of money problems, but as Medaka requested, she would not reveal such a private matter. She may be a cheater, but she was not insensitive nor a rumormonger.

_He most likely won't care._

"What about that Tanegashima guy?"

_He also has the same tasty smell…. Ohh, can we have sushi later?_

Feeling a bit peckish herself, she decided to humor the voice with its wants.

"Hey, can we eat sushi after this?"

"Huh? Sure."

"Medaka-chan?"

"I'll join."

"Good!" Nekomi clapped her hands happily. With a smile on her face, she continued with telling Zenkichi what she knew of the tanned member of the Swimming Club. "Anyway, his full name is Sotsu Tanegashima. In the world of competitive swimming in this country, he is considered the fastest. Except for his unusual teeth structure, nothing more."

"What about Mogana Kikaijima?" Medaka asked this time, clearly interested on the said girl.

"Well, you could say she's Akune's counterpart in the swimming world. With the sheer potential she has, Yakushima-kun was sure she would become the best in the country in no time. I even heard a rumor that she could hold her breath for a month. Pretty crazy I tell you."

"It's not impossible. I too can do it," Medaka said with all seriousness.

"Really?" Nekomi had to ask… though somehow, she wasn't that surprised.

The purple-haired superhuman nodded.

"Well, color me impressed. You do learn more everyday about how bizarre the world is." She shrugged, then she remembered a very interesting bit about the ponytailed member of Swimming Club. "Oh, and I also heard some rumors about her father being involved in a in some new age rel—"

"That's enough, Nekomi, we should respect their privacy." Medaka raised her hand and gestured for her to stop. Then suddenly, Zenkichi took hold of the super genius' raised hand by her wrist.

"Medaka-chan, I want to hear this."

Nekomi stared slack-jawed at Zenkichi, which was definitely warranted for the situation. From the time she was in the Student Council, she would always see him acquiesce to the president regardless of how ridiculous the order was, except for that one time with the love letter incident… but it was under a stupid identity. Therefore, she always thought the he would not go against her wishes, at least not in front of her, ever.

_Kuku, you thought wrong. Your friend thought wrong._

"Zen—"

"You can't order me out of this, Medaka," He said, unusually intimidating for once… no… Nekomi already had a glimpse of this side him that night and the night after the love letter incident.

It wasn't soon that Medaka relented, sighing. She then smiled. "Very well. I'll meet you two there."

Was she glad Zenkichi went against her? Why? She did not know the answers. However, from what she could discern, it was like Medaka was a parent glad for her kid's independence… or worse, an owner glad that her pet can now be left without supervision….

No, she did not want to think of Medaka like that…. her friend was not like that.

Right?

_The Kurokami… The Black God… Such an ominous name._

"Sure…" Nekomi said, trying her best not to shiver from her negative thoughts, while Zenkichi only nodded.

Both of them remained silent until they saw Medaka disappear among the crowd, giving her enough time to compose herself.

"So can you elaborate about this cult you were about to mention?" He asked, breaking the silence.

Nekomi donned her usual expression of amusement. "Kuku, mighty curious, aren't we?"

"It's important that I know."

"Oh? What makes you think I'll tell you? Remember, you're the servant for the day."

"Enough of this baiting crap of yours, Nabeshima. Tell me what you know."

Nekomi flinched at the rough tone he was using. "Sorry…." He sure was scary when he wants to be. "It's about Kikaijima-chan, really. Some say her father left them because of a family debt… but according to some rumors, her father actually left them for a ritual group suicide on an unnamed island in the south pacific."

"What is the name of this cult?"

"It's funny really, since those guys were worshipping gods not local to this country — Dagon and Hydra, from what I could remember."

"I'll ask you again, what is the name?"

"The Sublime Faith of the Dragon Palace."

Zenkichi sighed in relief. "Ryūgū-jō… So it's only that…. I should have known with Nienami being here."

_I always liked this part of the world, lots of things to eat._

Nekomi ignored the voice's nonsensical chatter as she grinned at Zenkichi, who now returned to his unremarkable and mild-mannered persona.

"Far from what you were expecting?"

"Yeah… nothing major."

"Nothing major? With how you treated me just now," she said, wiping an inexistent tear.

"I apologize if I came too forceful."

"If you want to apologize, then tell me. I want to know what's troubling you."

_He won't tell you._

"I can't."

_See? Secrets must be kept… you are not ready for them yet._

Nekomi sighed. Even though she knew what his answer would be, it still angered her. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why are you keeping secrets from the both of us?" she growled

"… It's necessary."

"Necessary for us? Or necessary for you?"

He avoided her accusing gaze.

"Sorry, but I really can't, especially not to Medaka."

"Then what about me?"

"As I already said, you'll find out by yourself when the time is right."

When will that be?

-000-

Finally, the boring event was ending.

Namanie covered her mouth as she yawned, back on her cheap foldable chair inside an open tent beside the Olympic sized wave pool, watching the workers prepare the venue for the last event.

She saw people gathering — the losers, the contestants, the supporters, and those that just wanted to watch the upcoming battle royale — the workers refilling the newcomer's drinks as they arrived while others gave the new arrivals new cups.

Feeling parched herself, she gestured to a nearby worker for a drink by snapping her fingers. A couple of seconds later, she was slurping on a nice, ice-cold glass of pineapple juice through a bendy straw.

She released a pleasant sigh. "Hey, Momo, aren't you thirsty?"

"Nah…" her petite companion said, staring at the rushing workers with her vicious and sleep-deprived-like eyes.

"Okay…" She slurped on her drink more.

A welcome silence came after, which was sadly broken when they noticed the Kurokami heir arriving by her lonesome.

"Hey, what do you think happened?" Namanie asked her diminutive companion as she stared at the Kurokami heir, noticing how the purple-haired girl's bountiful chests held by her thin white string bikini bounce with each step… then she stared at her own… she clicked her tongue in irritation.

"Probably nothing important," Momo answered as she shifted her evil-looking eyes at the boob girl.

"Maybe he decided to leave her."

Yeah, she wished….

"Impossible…" the Momozono heir said, her voice rougher than usual.

Typical no-nonsense Momo….

Then a thought came to Namanie.

"What do you think she'd do if she knew?"

"Don't know… I don't dwell on what-ifs."

"You're a boring conversation partner, you know that?"

"What a surprise… I have the same opinion about you."

Before an argument could even begin, they noticed Medaka turn to their direction, walking towards them with purpose radiating from her like an incandescent bulb, a cold expression plastered on her face.

"Hey, she's coming towards us," Namanie nudged her companion.

"I can see, fish face," the now mop-cap-wearing girl said, elbowing her on her stomach, still leering at the nearing girl. It did not hurt, as expected. Still, the child-looking teenager insulted her, so like what her grandfather would always say, "An eye for an eye."

"Game loli."

"I'm not a loli, tuna breath."

"You have the body of one…"

"Enough of this, we have a situation at our hands."

"So what are we going to do?" she asked just for the sake of asking.

"The usual.… I'm warning you, Namanie. Don't even give her clue."

"I know."

It wasn't long before Medaka Kurokami arrived at their open tent, stopping in front of their table with crossed hands under her large chests… really, Namanie couldn't help but think that the Kurokami heir was somehow intentionally taunting her with those bazookas of hers.

"Miss Momozono, Miss Nienami, can I borrow some time from the two of you?" the purple-haired zaibatsu heir asked.

"Sure… but make it quick, the event will start as soon as the employees finish," Momo replied for the two of them while Namanie opted on staying silent, focusing on her grand task of slurping the juicy goodness within her hands.

"Very well."

"Hey, can someone bring her a chair? Oh, and give her something to drink too." At Momo's harsh tone, the workers rushed, running around like headless chickens.

"No need," the zaibatsu heiress said, stopping the chaos among the water park employees as her red eyes bore into her diminutive companion.

The workers gulped, utterly confused as their eyes alternated between the two girls who were in a stare off. They finally released a sigh of relief as Momo waved a hand in dismissal of her last order.

"I'll be direct, what are you two to Zenkichi?" Kurokami asked.

Namanie clicked her tongue as she noticed she was out of pineapple juice. She placed the empty glass on the table as Momo began her tale.

"We're aquai—"

"Don't give me that nonsense about just being mere acquaintances."

Momo's baggy eyes increased in their viciousness.

Seeing the shift in her fellow fiancé's mood, Namanie decided to take over the ongoing conversation.

"How about close acquaintances…?" Namanie said, lying for all her worth. Zenkichi had better be preparing some compensation. "You could even say that we're friends. Like we said, we both met Zenkichi during his journey, though not at the same time."

"I met him near the Momozono estate," Momo said, nodding at her.

"While I met him back at the family island." Namanie nodded back.

"Why would he even go to your respective households?"

"He may not have mentioned this… but he had managed to acquire quite large debt from the ruling party of the Shiranui Village, though I don't know the particulars. As far as I know, he was tasked to act as a liaison between the branch families and the ninja village to pay off his debt," Namanie answered lazily, spouting the half-truth Zenkichi had decided for them to tell when such situations such as someone asking about what he did back then would arise.

"This does explain how he's close to Miss Shiranui."

Hook, line, and sinker.

"Of course they would be close," Momo took over, grinning, "She was by his side throughout his time as a liaison."

"Still, even if he had to travel almost all of Japan to pay off this debt, why did it take almost three years for him to come back?"

"He had to study, Kurokami. He missed almost a year and a half of his schooling to pay off his debt, so he studied his butt off back at the Shiranui Village afterwards, and given that the chairman of Hakoniwa was a Shiranui himself, he couldn't ask for better tutors."

"I could have done the same for him."

"He probably did not want to be a burden to you, Kurokami. Isn't it why he began his journey in the first place? Did you notice that he wanted to catch up to you?"

"He did not need to…."

Namanie could feel her eyes narrowing at the heiress. "Do you really think that…? Did you really think that?"

Medaka Kurokami opened her mouth, wanting to spout some excuse… but no words came out. She then widened her eyes, which suddenly narrowed as she glared at them. "Why do you two know so much about me?" Medaka Kurokami growled, the tips of her hair slowly turning translucent red, her aura of hostility scaring the normal people near them.

Was that the infamous Mars Mode?

Namanie's lips twitched. The princess sure had serious anger issues.

"Does the Jet Black Wedding Feast ring any bells?" She said as she rested her elbows on the table, tapping her fingers from one hand to their counterparts on the other.

The change in the Kurokami princess subsided, though she was still glaring at them.

"The two of you are my suitors…?"

"Who knows…? You heard us, right? Me and Momo are already engaged — form your own conclusion from such fact as you will." Namanie shrugged. She then spied a familiar shade of strawberry-blonde escorted by a feline girl. "Our talk with you has to end here…." She gestured for the heiress to look behind her.

Seeing who had just arrived, Kurokami nodded.

"Very well…."

With one last suspicious look at them, the purple-haired princess left, walking — an almost unnoticeable skip or two in between her steps from time-to-time — to his direction….

Namanie sighed... As expected of a Kurokami…

"Keh! What's wrong with being close with him?" Momo ranted like the child that she appeared to be as soon as Kurokami was far enough.

"The girl is just safe-guarding her territory…."

They saw the future president of the Kurokami Zaibatsu greet her newly arrived teammates, talking animatedly with them… while Zenkichi raised an eyebrow at their direction.

Momo waved her hands dismissively, answering Zenkichi's silent inquiry for the both of them.

The lanky strawberry-blonde replied with a curt nod, smiling.

At least someone's satisfied.

Namanie and Momo then waited in silence for the workers to finish, the Momozono heir tapping her finger on the table while she opted on balancing a knife with its sharp end on her index finger. The quiet lull did not take long as she then noticed one worker nervously walking towards their direction.

"Ma'am, we're ready to go," he said, standing beside the still fuming game otaku.

"Good, let's begin," Momo ordered.

"Yes, ma'am!" The employee bowed profusely. He then ran back to his peers, yelling at them to hurry. Like a well-oiled machine, the workers began a coordinated routine of assisting the teams with their respective banana boats on the pool. It did not take long for all of the participating teams to be in their respective boats, positioned equally all over the Olympic-size wave pool, each holding paddles where both flat ends were thickly padded. Safety first… could not let the teams knock each other's teeth out or beat each other to death — seriously, the lawsuits would be disastrous.

Namanie saw her current companion take large intakes of air, calming herself. The girl with the frayed hair then turned on her microphone.

"Well, well, well, it's our final event for the day!" Momo began, the establishment's top-of-the-line sound system transmitting her rough voice all over the park. "I won't go on much for this final battle as it's pretty self explanatory! Yes folks, it's going to be a Banana Boat Battle!"

Namanie turned her own microphone on to begin her part. "Each team must knock out opposing teams from their boats. There is only one rule, only use the paddles. Knocking other teams by your hands, feat, head or any other physical attack that doesn't involved the padded parts of the paddles will be instant disqualification. And yes, hitting your opponent with the wooden shaft in between the padded parts is also grounds for disqualification."

"See folks? The management holds your safety to the utmost importance. Aren't they great or what?" The audience cheered at Momo's words. "Anyway, we also have a treat for those who performed abysmally in the last two events. The higher a standing a team has, the higher the point gain for those that defeat them. However, you must knock out every member of the opposing team off their boats to earn the points. Yes! You will gain the points these high-ranking teams gathered! So to anybody who beats both the Swimming Club Team or the Student Council Team, or either after one knocks down the other will be the undisputed winner!"

The losers along with the watching crowd roared in approval… really, Namanie almost rolled her eyes from their sheer stupidity.

"Then without further ado, referee, let's begin!"

The loud sound of the signal gun firing and the roar of the contestants echoed all over the pool.

-000-

Medaka felt amiss, feeling a sensation of wrongness welling up inside within her.

The two branch family heirs' answers were unsatisfying, only increasing the questions spinning around her head. She was especially irked with what they were implying.

Zenkichi was her precious friend… and more….

Did she really push him away? She had to admit, she took his presence for granted. But push him away? Never.

Was that how he saw her actions back then?

No, if it were the case, he wouldn't have returned to her side. She's convinced; the words from the two girls' mouths were most likely a ploy… an overarching plan for an upcoming Jet Black Wedding Feast. Them having fiancés was probably another way of telling they were her suitors…. Yes, that must be it.

It didn't matter that they were of the same gender, as her family was eccentric enough to allow such things…. Not that she would approve, of course.

And even if the fiancé that they were both implying was her childhood friend — a what-if that was unpleasant to even think of — she would not lose, for she was Medaka Kurokami.

Zenkichi Hitoyoshi will be hers.

Still, the Nienami heir was right; the conversation must end since her companions had already arrived.

"Very well…" Medaka said, acquiescing.

Giving the two girls one last challenging look, she turned around, her bad mood lessening as she walked towards Zenkichi and Nekomi.

"Have you finished inquiring Secretary Nekomi for the Swimming Club, Zenkichi?" She asked as soon as she was in talking distance with him.

"Yeah," he said while giving a glance behind her. After he gave a curt nod, he smiled, not towards her, but to them….

Medaka felt a small pang of jealousy, which she squashed to oblivion. It would be unbecoming of her to feel jealous of such a small gesture given to females who weren't her. Even then, it would just be admitting that she saw those two girls as a competition to his heart… a threat — she would not give them such satisfaction.

She will give them a benefit of the doubt, of course. It's only natural for they are human, and thus there should be good in them… a chance of friendship like what happened with her and Nekomi Nabeshima.

"He really didn't ask much…." Her secretary shrugged answering for the both her and Zenkichi, letting out her usual cheery smile. Her expression then turned inquiring as she asked, "What were you talking about with those two?"

"Just a little family business…."

"Huh?"

"Those two," Medaka said as she gestured her head towards the event commentators, "are my relatives…." Now that she thought about it, since they were relatives, maybe it was only natural for the Kurokami and those of their blood to carry the same like towards her childhood friend. It was a valid thought since Medaka Kurokami herself, the greatest of the Kurokami both living and not, had fallen for him.

"Heh, and here I thought you guys were just members of the same group of companies, but actual relatives?" her friend said, nodding in understanding. "So that's why the Kurokami Zaibatsu never had any mergers or de-mergers since its conception."

Nekomi was surprisingly knowledgeable of her father's company, as expected of her secretary.

"Correct."

"Hey! Just because you won doesn't mean you guys could talk and relax!" a familiar voice suddenly interrupted her discussion with Nekomi.

It was Tanegashima, and with him were Yakushima and Kikaijima.

"Woah there… Do we really have to have pre-competition banter?" the purple-eyed secretary said as she stepped up front, smiling in a placating manner towards the blonde. She then turned her attention at the captain of the Swimming Club.

"Sorry, Tanegashima insisted. He's the type that gets fired up with such things," Yakushima replied, sighing.

"Oh well…" Nekomi shrugged condescendingly.

"Hey! Don't label me into such a weirdo!" Tanegashima complained.

Perking up at the word competition, Medaka decided to intervene. "Pre-competition banter… Very well, I accept. Please begin."

"Uhh…" the junior high school student coughed, surprised, his eyes wide as he looked confusingly at his companions. After the other members of his team nodded, he grinned, his sharp teeth showing, lifting an arm to point at Medaka and her team. "Hyaha! Just because we're tied, does not mean you guys could relax! The water is our domain! You might as well fork over the money now!"

"Nonsense. We will succeed and reform you three."

"Reform? Never! As long as human society continues to exist, money will make the world go round. We will never change our beliefs!"

"Let me tell you what exactly makes the world go round. It's trust. Large companies breathe on trust; a country can be kept afloat by trust. Even the country of Japan only managed to flourish because of the United States' trust on us being the competent buffer and unsinkable aircraft carrier against the Soviet Union after the war."

Tanegashima was tongue-tied, unable to give a rebuttal, dropping his pointing hand.

"Of course we know that, Kurokami," Freshman Kikaijima suddenly took over, glaring at her venomously. "However, that trust you're talking is only ephemeral, flimsy like a cardboard roof under a storm. Have you forgotten about the bubble burst at the turn of the last decade of the twentieth century? Trust can only go so much. Yes, money is trust… but it's also gold. Only one thing is important to us… to gather as much money as we can so that we can buy gold — an item of its value is stable, unlike paper… unlike your stupid trust. Remember this, one day we will achieve our dream and buy a pool full of gold coins and swim on it."

"Umm… wouldn't that hurt?" Zenkichi suddenly said, breaking the tense atmosphere.

Kikaijima glared at Medaka's childhood friend, the ponytailed girl's rage so palpable that even her companions stepped back.

Seeing such a reaction from the brown-haired girl, Zenkichi stepped back, hiding behind Nekomi while he waved his one hand in a placating gesture "Ahh… yeah, swim in gold coins! Awesome! Fabulous! Ahh… just ignore what I said."

Her secretary could only sigh at how the strawberry-blonde acted.

Medaka had to admit, it was very different compared to how he acted back in those early days of middle school…. Change, huh…. She did not know whether to like it or not.

Still, it wasn't time to think about his childhood friend's changes. It was a time of challenge, a time to exact her calling in this world… a calling under Zenkichi's definition of her purpose.

"I will remember," she said, considering the revelation of Kikaijima's goal — a dream both grand and pragmatic. Medaka definitely approved. However, the road on which they were walking towards such dream was wrong. "But know this, I will change your self-destructive ways, of that I'm sure." Medaka declared, pointing a finger in challenge to Mogana Kikaijima. She will make them happy.

The one-piece wearing girl narrowed her eyes further. "We'll see…"

"Umm… I'm sorry to interrupt your exciting talk, girls," Zenkichi suddenly interrupted, nervous, still hiding behind Nekomi, whose cheeks were reddening as her eyes twitched, "but I think the event is starting."

Medaka dropped her pointing hand.

Like her childhood friend said, the water park's employees were now guiding the other teams to their respective boats. She even noticed two workers walking towards them.

"We will see you in the battlefield," Freshman Kikaijima said as they left, the senior captain grinning whimsically while the junior kept laughing, following a water park employee to their boat.

"Is your group ready?" the employee assigned to them asked.

"Yes," Medaka answered.

"Then please follow me."

Somehow, their group ended up in the very middle of the pool, just in front of the Swimming Club Team. Zenkichi was up front, her in the middle, while Nekomi was behind her — a consequence after a round of rock-paper-scissors — each of them holding a padded paddle.

"Man… the odds are stacked against us. Does the management have a grudge on us or what?" her friend behind her said petulantly.

"I don't think so. With us and the Swimming Club Team at the top of the rankings, it is only natural we are placed in the very center."

"Kya!" she let out as Nekomi suddenly hugged her from behind, pushing her into Zenkichi's back — Medaka noticed he had lost a lot of muscle compared to what he had back then — her chest touching, pressing into him.

"I wasn't asking for a reason behind, Medaka-chan," her green-haired friend said, grinning, Rubbing her face to Medaka's cheek-to-cheek.

"M-medaka-chan? What's wrong?" Zenkichi said, as he tilted his head to look at them, blushing. His cheeks redden further from what he saw, sputtering unintelligibly.

"We're not doing anything, Zenkichi, just focus on the opposing team in front of you," she said while Nekomi flashed him with a peace sign beside her.

"Uh… ah… okay." He said absent-mindedly, clearly not getting what she said. It was quite endearing actually.

"I hope you drown, Hitoyoshi!" she heard Akune shout from the stands.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw him in the middle of his two club mates, sitting on the hurriedly put up spectators stand, drinks in hand.

Noticing her looking at them, Akune began to shower her and Nekomi shouts of support, the short-haired companion waving a hand while the smaller girl snubbed her…. Huh… Medaka was still confused about that particular freshman's behavior.

They heard the tell-tale signs of the sound system turning on. Not long after, the commentators began to explain the rules of the final event.

"Then without further ado, referee, let's begin!" the voice of the Momozono heir reverberated and as soon as they were done. A second later, they heard the signal gun firing, starting the event.

Instead of rushing towards them, their rivals turned around from them, attacking the other teams in their side of the pool like a bulldozer on a rampage.

"Well, it seems the Swimming Club team did the smart thing and decided to knock down the small fries first!" the sound system echoed Momozono's voice.

"I would do the same thing if I was in their position…" the almost monotonous voice of Nienami took over.

"Quite."

Realizing their actions, Medaka stood up, easily balancing herself on the banana boat. She then took Zenkichi's place in front of the boat, ignoring his surprised yelp.

"Zenkichi, turn us around."

"What's the use of rock-paper-scissors when we would just exchange places?"

"Stop complaining and turn us around."

"Yes ma'am," he said, grumbling a bit as he did what he was told.

"Hooh, the Student Council team seems to be doing the same," Medaka heard the small commentator say through the sound system, which the Momozono's fellow redheaded commentator followed.

"They don't have a choice… the other teams are gearing up to attack them…."

"Hey, Medaka-chan. I bet I could knock more down than you" Nekomi suddenly challenged, her smile Cheshire-like.

She could feel her grin widen. "You're on."

Medaka saw the other teams rushing towards them, paddles first like a cavalry of jousting knights of old European days.

She licked her lips.

As soon as their boat turned sideways, Medaka swung her paddle like a bat, knocking down all three riders of the nearest boat. The other rushing teams stopped as they saw the aftermath of her attack, wary… scared.

"It's a strike, folks. Three strikes at one bat!" the smallish commentator said, seemingly excited.

"… Triple Kill…" the Nienami heir followed with monotone voice.

Medaka pointed her paddle at them. "Come at us! We'll take you all on!"

"Ohh, a daring challenge! Nothing less from a Kurokami!" Momozono's voice echoed, followed by the roars of the audience.

"… If the other teams don't take on her challenge, they will be the very definition of pussies…," a bored voice added.

Medaka's challenge had the intended effect — though Nienami's unconventional urging did help — as the rest of the remaining teams advanced, yelling crass words and unintelligible taunts.

How exciting!

A paddle swung towards her, which she blocked with her own, skillfully twisting her given weapon and swinging it down on her attackers' boat, knocking the whole team and creating a huge splash of water. Another team used the splash to obscure their attack, their paddles piercing through the suspended veil of water. However, Medaka expected the attack, as she spun her paddle like a windmill in a storm, disarming the three members of the attacking team and knocking them off their boat with a strike to the head each.

"That's two teams."

From the corner of her eyes, Nekomi intercepted their team's attackers on her side, skillfully using her paddle like a bō staff — spinning, rotating, and juggling the impromptu weapon with such skill and ease — while she sat on the boat.

From what Medaka saw, she was sure that what Nekomi was showing was just the tip of a humungous iceberg in terms of the green-haired girl's capabilities. Maybe Nekomi's defeat against Zenkichi awakened something within her.

"Same here!" her secretary said as she knocked the last passenger of her second boat.

As expected of her secretary and dear friend… maybe they should have a mock fight in the future.

Medaka grinned at such exciting prospect.

The audience let out gasps of wonder and amazement at their feats, making Medaka happy that she was entertaining the audience with the paltry act that they were doing. She may be suspicious of the ones managing the park, but since it was an establishment of her family's company, it was only natural to help the place in whatever way she can. Moreover, even without such reason, just seeing Nekomi's enjoyment of the audience's adulations was reason enough.

As for Zenkichi, he just settled on paddling the boat, supporting them when they needed it as he watched both of them with wide eyes.

Medaka was sure, more than the audience's adulations, the very reason they were continuing with their showmanship was for him to keep his eyes at them, at her….

It was not long before all the teams that had attacked them were knocked off their respective boats, now out of the pool, as the audience began clapping.

She and her green-haired friend did a high-five, sandwiching a blushing Zenkichi in the middle. Medaka definitely enjoyed his reaction.

"Nice! See folks? Only here in Happy Cthully Water Park you could watch such amazing show!"

The crowd roared at the child-like commentator in approval.

"… I can do much better.…"

"Maybe next time, Namanie. But enough of your issues, we have a very exciting situation here."

"Huh… so the only remaining teams are the two favorites… I'm actually not surprised."

Just as the commentators said, the only remaining opponent for Medaka's team was the Swimming Club team, their banana boat ominously pointing towards them. Tanegashima was in front, in the middle was Kikaijima, and finally sitting behind the two was their captain, Yakushima. Upturned boats were all over the place creating a sense of juxtaposition to a duel in the middle of an old battlefield with the dead lying everywhere.

It was perfect!

Medaka crossed her arms as she stood, easily balancing herself, and pointed her fingers at them challengingly, smirking. "At last… it's time to teach you guys that there is more important things in this world than money."

She saw the only female of their team also stand, exchanging places with the tanned blonde in front. "I had enough of your stupidity! I'm going to smack some sense into your naïve head!" She yelled angrily, pointing her paddle threateningly towards them. Kikaijima then grinned viciously as she sat back.

Medaka narrowed her eyes in suspicion… her eyes widening as she realized that one of them, specifically Tanegashima, was not on their boat.

"Zenkichi, forward."

"Huh?"

"Hurry!" Medaka urged him as she sat, hefting her paddle pad first.

There were murmurs of confusion and boos among the audience for what Junior Tanegashima did. As expected, the commentators' offered an explanation.

"Need I remind you guys and gals, there is only one rule — a team has to knock all three passengers of the opposing team's boat off with their paddles to warrant a win. As long as there is someone in the banana boat, all the team members, on and off the boat, are still in the game! Yes, folks! What the Swimming Club Team did is totally legal!"

"…Too bad the rest were too stupid to realize such a loop hole."

The enemy boat suddenly gained speed, rushing towards them like a freight train, Kikaijima-paddle first. Medaka finally saw Tanegashima just behind their boat, kicking the water like a propeller as he pushed. Zenkichi also saw what was transpiring and had finally rowed forward.

"Clever," Medaka mused a loud seconds before she and Kikaijima clashed, their boats rocking from the collision, exchanging blows like old knights in a tourney, her paddle hitting the ponytailed girl's own pad-to-pad, the angry female Swimming Club member's blow managing to equal hers due to the momentum they gained. Then suddenly, Kikaijima eased back, surprising Medaka enough to make her lose her balance for as second, which the other team took advantage of as the senior captain leaped from behind, intent of slamming his paddle towards her head. Thankfully, Nekomi was there to block the attack.

"Kuku, yup, that was pretty clever," her friend agreed.

"I never knew you were this strong, Nabeshima-san," Yakushima said, his hold on his paddle straining, obviously trying his best to keep Nekomi from overwhelming him with all his strength. "And here I thought you're only good with cheating and Judo."

On the other hand, Nekomi was still grinning, holding off the fellow senior with ease. "To be honest, so did I." Her friend then pushed, enough to make her opponent fall off their boat.

Seeing the outcome of Yakushima's attack, they retreated, their boat turning like a drifting car, after a large splash of water from Tanegashima's kicks blinded Medaka and her team.

Medaka gestured for Zenkichi and Nekomi to stay put, observing the other team to try to divine their next move.

She saw the Swimming Club captain rise from the water beside their team's boat. He then shook his head at both his teammates, which they replied with a nod. Kikaijima glared at Medaka's direction… and then grinned maliciously.

Medaka could not help but smile. It seems their opponents will now be getting serious.

Their blonde member climbed back to the boat while Yakushima replaced him. Kikaijima then dived into the water.

"Zenkichi, Nekomi, get ready."

"Medaka-chan?"

"Sure."

Not a second later, the water under their boat swelled, lifting them up by a feet before bursting upwards with an accompaniment of a shrill and very loud yell, throwing the three of them, boat and all, into the air. Nekomi and Zenkichi gave out respective shouts of surprise while Medaka calmly searched for the source of the attack. At the height of their flight, she saw Kikaijima come out of the water to look up to her direction

Seeing the opportunity for an attack, Medaka raised her paddle above her head. "Zenkichi, keep the bat safe, and Nekomi… be vigilant." She never waited for her companions' replies as she shifted her center of gravity and used the weight changing skill to increase her weight and accelerate her descent towards the culprit of the latest attack, intent of slamming her paddle, pad first, into the mascot girl's head.

However, before she could connect, Kikaijima dove again, completely evading the attack, which created a huge splash as Medaka hit the water's surface. Realizing that she would be at a disadvantage against her opponent, she opted on using the weight changing skill and lessened her own weight to the point that the force she created with her paddle slamming on the water was enough to propel her again in the air. She then spun mid-air to increase her airtime and landed on a nearby upturned banana boat, her impromptu weapon ready for the next attack.

From the corner of her eye, she saw her team's boat landing safely, both Nekomi and Zenkichi on it. She was about to give them a new set of instructions when the tell-tale sign of her boat rising came apparent. Therefore, before a repeat could happen, she jumped to another empty banana boat. As expected, the water under the previous boat burst followed by an ear-splitting yell, throwing the plastic mode of recreational transportation into the air. Then suddenly, something burst out from the water behind her, making her turn around. It was Kikaijima, who was already in mid-swing with her paddle towards Medaka's head. However, thanks to her great reflexes, Medaka managed to block it, the ponytailed girl's padded paddle just inches to her face.

Seeing her attack fail, the freshman member of the Swimming Club dove again into the water.

Medaka was on her toes, her blood boiling from anticipation, her breathing a bit rougher and her heart beating a bit faster.

A challenging opponent appears!

-000-

Nekomi stood up from her position as soon as their team's boat stabilized, taking Medaka's place as the vanguard for their team. She was flexing her arms as she twisted her upper body left and right, amazed.

She knew she was stronger after that particular night, but to be strong enough to easily fend off Yakushima… she stared at her hand for a couple of seconds and then shook her head.

It was definitely welcome change.

Still Nekomi Nabeshima couldn't help but sigh… she felt like she cheated… especially to herself, and she was a proud cheater. What's with all the surge of talents?

_You shouldn't worry of such minor thing… Whether you know it or not, such prowess was already within your capabilities, only untouched until now._

Really? Nekomi could not believe it. Was she some kind of chosen one or something?

_Kind of…_

She groaned at the voices vague answer.

With an unnatural ease in balancing herself on the banana boat, she watched as Medaka leapt into the air, followed by the water below the boat she was standing on bursting, splashing the pool water all over the place.

She whistled in amazement at such spectacle… somehow, the simple banana battle event turned into some superhuman battle of feats to boggle the minds of normal people.

Nekomi grinned. In a way, she was now part of the superhuman crowd…. Nekomi shivered at such amazing realization.

_I'm glad you like it._

Hefting the padded paddle on her shoulders, she saw Medaka slowly land on another empty boat, reminiscent of what Zenkichi did that particular life-changing night… Curious, does her friend had the same capabilities as the eternal focus of her hate?

_I don't really know…._

Regardless, she decided to shelve such question for later pondering as she shifted her gaze towards the enemy team's boat and noticed one worrying thing — her classmate, Yakushima, was gone.

The blonde, Tanegashima, noticed her looking at his general direction. He then grinned, gesturing a thumbs down.

Nekomi widened her eyes in realization, but it was already too late as something launched itself towards Zenkichi. It was Yakushima spearing out of the water paddle first

She forced Zenkichi down, ignoring his shouts of complaints as she blocked the attack. She wasn't standing on a stable ground, so even with her new-found strength, the attack launched into the air. As expected of a scholarship student and the captain of the Swimming club — just add water and he suddenly gets better.

Still in the air, Nekomi pushed herself away from her attacker, flipping in the air to land to a nearby upturned banana boat, and at the same time, she heard him dive back into the water.

Seconds later, she saw Yakushima rise to the surface, an eyebrow raised. "When did you become Master Chin?"

"Don't know… last night?" Nekomi grinned playfully.

He shook his head. "No matter, regardless of what you can do, it would still be useless underwater."

"Try me."

Yakushima then dove into the water, deep enough that Nekomi could not see his silhouette on the surface.

Nekomi leaned on her paddle, waiting. Then her ears twitched as she heard the tell-tale signs of something rising from underwater. She jumped, hefting her paddle with both her hands as Yakushima launched himself towards her. She would have slammed him down with the paddle if not for him twisting in midair to block her attack with his feet, the force pushing him back underwater.

Tapping the end of her paddle on the boat, she flipped again in midair, landing on her feet.

"You heard things about me right? You don't want to be hospitalized for months," she said as she turned around to face the senior.

"I did… but I doubt you would do something when there's an audience," he said gesturing to the stands.

"Point."

"Hey, why don't you take a dip? The water's pretty good."

_Does he take us for an idiot?_

"Kukuku… no."

"Well, at least I tried." Yakushima shrugged.

In the corner of her eyes, she noticed the tanned blonde rowing towards a fleeing Zenkichi. Deciding on helping her strawberry-blonde teammate, she leaped towards a nearby boat, intent on using the upturned boats as her stepping-stones to his side. However, Yakushima, again, launched himself towards her, preventing her from getting to another boat.

"Now, now, don't leave me for another man," he said in mock hurt.

_How dare this mortal!?_

Nekomi hissed in reply.

"Wow, you fell for him hard, don't you? Never seen you so worried for another person before."

"It's not like that; I'm just worried we'll lose."

"You even act like a tsundere… definitely love struck."

Nekomi growled. "You know you can't beat me."

"Maybe… but I sure do know I can keep you from helping your teammates."

Nekomi narrowed her eyes. Oh how she hoped Zenkichi would not deliberately let himself be knocked off their boat, because if he did, he would definitely receive the clawing of a lifetime.

-000-

Zenkichi rowed for all his worth, which was not much given his current physical capabilities.

"I can't feel my arms anymore," he complained loudly as he finally reached one end of the pool. He then lifted his paddle and placed it behind him; turning around to watch the carnage Medaka and Nabeshima were unleashing on the Swimming Club trio.

However, instead of a relaxing moment on the best seat in the event, he only got impending doom as the tanned member of the opposing team paddled towards him all the while laughing hysterically.

"Hyahaha, your mine now, wimp!"

Zenkichi cursed as he used his own paddle to push himself from the poolside. He then rowed to get away from the approaching opponent, who only turned towards his intended direction.

"You won't escape me, wimp! We will win!"

Zenkichi decided to continue with his rowing, intent on a collision course with the approaching enemy boat. However, as soon as he was a feet from him, he used one of his more subtle skills, [Hyperion Shift], changing the constitution of his muscles and used the newly acquired strength for a sudden turn to evade the approaching the boat.

However, Tanegashima never relented as he swung his paddle towards him.

Expecting the attack, Zenkichi slammed his own paddle on the pool surface — his strength enough to momentarily create an empty divide in the pool, splashing the water violently to hide such fact — to push himself into the air and evade entirely the attack. However, his airtime wasn't enough so instead of landing perfectly on his boat, he instead landed on his free hand, balancing himself on his flimsy boat.

"You can do the high-flying shit too?"

He let himself down, sitting comfortably back on his boat. "Of course, it's normal."

The guy with the sharp teeth just stared eyes wide open at him for a second before he shook his head. "Hyaha! Do you take me for a fool!?"

"Uhhh… nope?"

The blonde narrowed his eyes at Zenkichi. "If only I were allowed to get off this boat, I would have beaten you by now. But seriously, is being able to do Hong Kong movie acrobatics a requirement to join the Student Council?"

Zenkichi shrugged. "Ask Medaka-chan, I'm just the General Affairs Manager."

Tanegashima clicked his tongue in distaste. "No matter, we'll still win."

He didn't really care who would win, but if they lose because of him, he would never hear the end of it. "We'll see about that."

-000-

"Is it me or this event just turned into a one-on-one battle?" Momo asked, rhetorically, a bit surprised at such development.

"It's just like in my manga!" Namanie said in mock astonishment beside her. "But seriously, the rules pretty much pushed the contestants into this situation…."

Momo grinned, "And isn't it interesting! Especially with the skills our contestants are showing!" She saw Kurokami leaping into the air, evading the sonic attacks of the only female member of the opposing team from underwater, the splashing water creating a beautiful arc of prismatic colors, which awed the audience.

"Hey, are sonic attacks allowed?"

"Well…" Momo picked a paper on the table containing the rules. "The rules didn't say anything about sonic attacks…."

"Then what about the rule of knocking your opponent with only the padded paddle."

"As long as the ponytailed girl hits her enemy with the paddle after the sonic attack, it's allowed."

"…Having only one rule's pretty troublesome."

"Meh, specifics."

"So who do you think would win between them?" Namanie asked with a bored tone, already knowing the answer.

"It's still anyone's ball game, I say fifty-fifty." Momo lied. It wouldn't do just to say the outcome of an already decided battle for the audience. It would be like those shitty game guides revealing everything. If there was one thing that really sets her off like no other, it would be spoilers.

"Uhuh…"

Seeing that the battle between Kikaijima and Kurokami would be a repetition of leap, dodge, and splash, Momo shifted her attention to another battle — Goatee Man versus the Feline Girl.

The man known as Umumichi Yakushima was like a humanoid combination of a flying fish and a swordfish with the way he was leaping off the water paddle first. On the to her hand, the girl who was slowly getting closer to Zenkichi was doing acrobatics, intercepting her opponents attacks with her paddle, spinning in mid-air as though she had wires attached to her body. It was senseless wasteful movements only useful for looking good, not that Momo was against it since it definitely impressed the crowd, and at the very least, Momo could acquiesce that the green-haired girl could pose a minor challenge against the Kugurugi heir in terms of martial prowess.

"I can do better than that girl," Namanie suddenly said, referring to both the cat girl and the Kurokami heir, obviously itching for a battle… typical violent maniac.

"I don't doubt that, Namanie…"

"Aaahah…"

"He would not like it if you made a scene."

"Okay, okay, I get it… I was just joking."

"You aren't funny."

"You just lack the critical sense of humor."

"I don't want to hear that from you," Momo grumbled, turning her attention to her fiancé… her eyes widening a bit. "It seems the sole male member of the Student Council team's plan of avoiding the carnage by rowing away from the ensuing battle hit a huge a hurdle in the guise of Tanegashima of the Swimming Club team."

The confrontation between them turned into a chase, the strawberry-blonde rowing away fast from the chasing tanned blonde — she noticed how his muscles were firmer, almost unnoticeable. Her fiancé was probably using one of his skills.

"Will the strawberry-blonde manage to keep avoiding his hunter until his team mates finish their respective battles? Or will he be ripped apart and be sunk under the cold waters of the pool. Remember folks, if either rowers would be knocked off from their respective boats, the other team will instantly win!"

They were all over the pool, Zenkichi rowing as he dodged his opponent's attacks, all the while they dodging the attacks from the others… It wasn't extraordinary, compared to the other two ensuing fights… of which Momo expected given it was him.

Then they heard a huge splash… stealing both Momo and Namanie's attention.

Medaka was gone from the surface... that only meant one thing… she dove.

She grinned. Now this was interesting.

-000-

Nekomi was in an impasse.

The battle was taking too long, a stalemate between her defense and Yakushima's frequent lunging attacks.

_The rules are annoying._

"Hey, aren't you getting tired yet?" She asked as she tried to hit his lunging body by his head, which he evaded by flipping his own body so that instead of a concussion, Yakushima received her attack trough the soles of his feet, the force driving him back into the water.

Nekomi sighed as she landed back on the upturned boat on her toes.

She saw him rise, far from the range of her paddle.

"Maybe you're the one getting tired," he said, grinning, with no sign of fatigue.

"Well…." Nekomi said, glancing at Medaka's direction — her friend was gone.

Medaka Kurokami wasn't there.

"I think it's our win," he suddenly said, confident.

She narrowed her eyes. "Do you really think she would be defeated just like that?"

"Oh, I know of her exploits… but no one can beat Kikaijima underwater."

Now Nekomi was worried. If there's one thing she knew about her classmate, it was that he had solid reasons to be confident in situations.

She had to finish the battle.

With the use of her paddle, she hit the water surface, launching the treated pool liquid to blind her opponent. She leaped to another boat and then shouted, "Zenkichi! Row towards me!"

She saw him nod as he turned towards her, his pursuer following.

"I won't let you!" he heard Yakushima yell as he did another spearing attack.

However, instead of rushing towards Zenkichi, Nekomi turned around, raising a fist to punch him as she dodged his paddle.

The Swimming Club captain grinned.

She cursed, her face morphing into shock. Why did she let her instincts take over…? Now her team was going to be disqualified….

Not!

At the last second, before she could hit him square in the face, she grinned and used her newly gained superhuman reflexes to shift her attacking fist to miss his head entirely.

That's when his enemy realized what she was planning. However, it was already too late as she used the momentum of her first attack to do a half turn, her back facing him as she held her paddle with both her hands to hit him in the stomach with the padded end.

_Perfect execution!_

"A direct hit from Nekomi Nabeshima of the Student Council team!"

"…Finally…."

Nekomi heard both the diminutive and red-haired commentators' say respectively.

For the life of her, she never expected to successfully perform a side-stab to an enemy from behind smoothly like those old samurai flicks except there was actually no stabbing… then again she never expected to be friends with someone like Medaka Kurokami.

Still grinning, she tilted her head to look at her victim.

"That… gack… was cheating," he managed to whine in between coughs, the padded end of her paddle still digging into his stomach.

"Just because I got stronger doesn't mean I won't cheat…."

_And technically, it wasn't cheating._

"I should have… gah… known…," he said before losing consciousness.

Shaking her head, Nekomi gently lifted him using her paddle to a nearby upturned boat to let him rest, gesturing for a nearby employee to take the unconscious male. It's not like she really hated the guy, so there's no point in implementing more damage.

"Well, it's clear that Umumichi Yakushima of the Swimming Club team can't participate anymore. The match had just turned in favor of the Student Council team," the smaller commentator began.

"…. Maybe the other team could still turn this around…," said the redhead.

"We'll never know until both Medaka Kurokami and Mogana Kikaijima appear from underwater. Don't worry folks, we are sure both girls are still alive and kicking, and to prove it we will show the live footage of what's happening underwater!"

Nekomi saw some of the employees pushing a very huge television on wheels for the viewing pleasure of the people on the stands. It was showing Medaka battling the ponytailed girl underwater… with the latter having a clear advantage on the former.

Her attention then shifted to Zenkichi as she noticed their team's banana boat already floating beside the upturned boat she was standing on.

"Hah… good job," he said, sweating from the intense rowing.

"Thanks." Her grin turned into a grateful smile. Then she noticed the enemy junior not following him. "Where's the Blondie?"

"He retreated after you beat Yakushima-senpai."

"Uhuh…." She found the other only visible member of the Swimming Club rowing to a safe distance away from them. "How about we help Medaka-chan end this event? It would be easy."

"Nah… she would not like it if we interfere."

"Are you seriously saying that?" That wasn't what she had expected to hear from him.

"Sorry, but yeah… especially when she gets riled up like this," he said pointing towards the large screen, which was now showing a close-up of Medaka grinning, her eyes sharp and clearly excited.

"But—"

"Just trust her."

Nekomi trusted Medaka of course… but just to sit by and watch as her friend battled someone who had the advantage in water? It just felt wrong. Was Medaka that much of a battle maniac?

_Kuku, is this what they say about a pot calling a kettle black?_

Was the voice implying she was a battle maniac herself…? Now that's just wrong. She was far from a battle maniac…. Right?

She gripped her paddle harder as she decided to ignore what the voice said. "I'm going to hurt you if you're wrong."

Zenkichi shook his head as he smiled wistfully. "Sorry, but if I want it, I'm always right."

Nekomi shivered from what he said.

-000-

Even Medaka could get impatient.

The match was a stalemate, with her just waiting for her opponent to attack to even have the chance of hitting back, while dodging the sonic attacks from underwater in repetition ad nauseam. Therefore, she decided to take the risk and take in a very large breath of air and dove after Kikaijima.

As soon as she was underwater, sonic waves barrage her. Medaka swam, dodging the physical aspect of the attacks by a hair's breadth while the screeching sound deafened her. Reaching the pool floor, she kicked herself from it, and used the force to accelerate herself towards the mascot girl's direction paddle first.

Kikaijima dodged her attack, as expected, so she spun, attacking her once again. However, she missed again, the ponytailed girl easily avoiding her attack. The water was hindering her movements. Regardless of how fast she made her next attacks, Kikaijima still dodged them with a superior smirk on her face.

She was at a disadvantage.

However, even though she realized that point, she never relented with her thrusts, her attacks slowly but surely increasing their speed, her body slowly but surely adapting to the watery environment.

Kikaijima narrowed her eyes as she noticed that particular fact, so she swam away from Medaka.

Medaka, seeing the opportunity, swam upwards towards the surface to get a new breath of fresh air as her unsuccessful attacks made her supply almost nil. However, before she could reach the thin barrier between water and air, she saw her opponent speeding towards her from her left, intent of spearing her with the padded paddle. She kicked herself to a stop to turn and face her opponent head on.

It was a mutual hit. However, she saw Kikaijima was not through with her attack yet as she opened her mouth intent of launching another voice cannon, so Medaka opened her own mouth to use the same attack, which would also use all the remaining air she had in her lungs.

Then again, it was for the best as the confrontation ended in mutual damage — launching Medaka into the surface while forcing Kikaijima further underwater.

Medaka took in another large breath while still in the air, righting herself to land on an upturned boat. Her ears were ringing. She touched one of her ears and felt blood leaking — a minor injury that would heal after some moments.

She then used the scattered upturned boats as stepping-stones towards her team's boat.

As she finally reached her team's banana boat, she saw Nekomi open her mouth, speaking to hear… she shook her head as she pointed to her ears to show that she could not hear her. She saw Nekomi growl, angry to those that did such harm to her — it warmed Medaka's heart.

Suddenly, someone pulled her down to a seating position on the boat with surprising strength and gentleness. It was Zenkichi, who had a piece of cloth, gently holding her face with one hand while he used the other to wipe the blood leaking from her ears.

"… Me… cha… are you alright?" he said with worry.

Finally, she got her hearing back. "I'm fine now."

"I'm glad."

Her attention was then stolen when she heard the commentators.

"And here comes Kikaijima. It seemed the match underwater was a draw!"

Like the Momozono heir said, Kikaijima rose to the water surface, swimming towards Tanegashima and their team's boat. She noticed Yakushima was gone.

"Don't worry, Yakushima is currently unconscious," Nekomi answered her unvoiced question.

"Good job, Nekomi."

"Thanks, Medaka-chan."

After that, she returned her attention towards the enemy team. Unlike her, the ponytailed girl seemed to be unaffected by the sound based attacks seeing as she was able to talk with her teammate — planning their next move.

"… Unexpected," she heard the red-haired commentator say.

"That I totally agree. However, it is now clear that the Swimming Club Team is in a disadvantage. What will happen next?"

Her team watched the opposing team began to near them. Then they stopped, Kikaijima standing upfront.

"It is clear that we will lose," the cold-looking ponytailed girl began, her voice rough, "especially with our captain being out of commission. However, we refuse to admit it! We want one last clash, no tricks, no bending the rules, no retreats, us against your team in a regular boat battle! The outcome will decide the winner!"

"Hey now, that's just unfair! Wasn't it you guys that started to pick us one by one," Nekomi said, fuming.

"I don't care."

"What the f—"

"Nekomi, language," Medaka chastised.

"But—"

"Nekomi, enough."

"Nabeshima-senpai's got a point, you know," Zenkichi said, supporting her green-haired friend.

"Even then… we should agree. It'll help us give higher ground, which in turn would help them realize how wrong they are when we win."

Nekomi sighed. "I hate it sometimes when you're right."

"Okay," Zenkichi said, good-naturedly.

Acquiring her teammates' approval, Medaka stood and announced, "Very well, we accept."

Kikaijima nodded and then turned towards the commentator's tent. "Can you mediate us, ma'am?"

"….Sure," the Nienami heir answered while the Momozono heir began commentating.

"What a development folks! Now the outcome of the match hinges on a duel, a final clash between the underdog that is the Swimming Club Team and the monstrous Student Council Team!"

Medaka twitched at the 'monstrous' comment but decided to ignore it as she gestured for her team to get ready. She saw Tanegashima dive into the pool water, taking his role as the human propeller of their boat, leaving Kikaijima alone in the craft with his paddle. Instead of making her look weak, their team ended up looking more imposing with Kikaijima dual wielding the two paddles like spears intent of knocking Medaka's team off their boat.

The unwavering fearless look of Kikaijima made Medaka's blood boil in anticipation, which only got more intense as the countdown began.

"…Three."

Medaka gripped her paddle harder.

"..Two."

She bent her neck left and right to fix some kinks.

"…One."

Medaka felt a grin forming on her lips.

"…Start!"

She could feel her team's boat moving, Zenkichi and Nekomi rowing in synchronicity. On the other hand, her opponent began to speed towards them, faster than her teammates' rowing — a testament to Tanegashima's speed in swimming.

Then they clashed, Medaka's paddle against Kikaijima's two, locking, pushing, strength to strength, her teammates paddling against Tanegashima's swimming.

"You guys are really something else. The perseverance, the will to win, it's outstanding. I'm glad to be the Student Council President of an institution that has students like you."

"What are you saying now? And after you mocked our ideals."

"You have no respect for your own lives — that is something I can't condone, ever. As your president, it is my duty to correct you three from such suicidal thinking, even if I have to beat it out of you."

Kikaijima grunted, her two paddles straining back a bit as Medaka slowly overwhelmed her regardless of Tanegashima's efforts.

"Ugh… shut up! What the hell do you know? You don't have a father who ran away and dumped his debt on his family. You don't have a sickly mother who's delusional enough to think her husband would come back while she worked herself in to the ground. Your family did not split up due to money problems like Captain Yakushima. You are not an orphan that had his home foreclosed like Tanegashima-senpai. No, you're a princess from a very rich family with everything handed to her in a silver platter."

Medaka remained silent as she listened to Kikaijima's revelation.

"I don't care what you think! I don't care what anybody else thinks! Money is more important than life! That's what I will believe until I die! Respect for life? Hah! It won't even matter if you're dirt poor. I bet other people would be sadder if they lost their wallet than the prospect of my death!"

Medaka may not understand what it means to be poor. She may not understand what it means to have everything you have taken away due to the lack of money. She did not understand the experience of debt or having your home foreclosed. Yes, she could not relate to what Kikaijima and her teammates experienced….

And Medaka did not care.

What's important was that their thinking was wrong on a very fundamental level. Even then, the reasons behind such ideals would be inconsequential after she had reformed them.

That's why Medaka twisted her paddle, easily disarming the tired ponytailed girl, whose hands were shaking, her eyes wide in shock and a hint of fear.

"Spouting garbage like that, it irritates me. Do you know what that means, Freshman Kikaijima? After spouting trash about how important money is, you ended up buying something very, very, expensive—" Medaka raised her hand carrying her paddle, "my wrath," and threw it with all her strength….

The paddle zoomed through the air, even creating a minor sonic boom. Kikaijima did not even have the chance to hide behind her arms; she did not even have the time to blink.

It missed the girl's head by an inch.

"W-wh—"

Medaka did not let her continue as she leaped towards the flabbergasted girl, tackling her into the air.

"A wallet can be found… but a life can't be brought back after it's lost. I believe that there is nothing more important than a human life… that's why, if you guys died, I'd be sad."

In the past, Medaka may have opted on kissing the ponytailed girl on the lips, but after his disappearance and reappearance, she opted on hugging Kikaijima as tight as she could as she kissed the girl's forehead.

It was not long before they both hit the water.

-000-

Feh, such a sappy ending.

However, the audience ate it up like the waste of space that they are… well, at the very least their putting money into her pocket, so all's well that ends well.

"Boom! And there goes the last event folks!" she said in false excitement.

"So… who won?" Namanie asked beside her in faux interest.

"Well, regardless of the drama, since Medaka Kurokami tackled Mogana Kikaijima off the boat instead of using the padded battle, the Student Council team is disqualified. That means that the overall winner is the Swimming Club team!"

The spectators booed… oh how Momo wanted to kill them all. However, business is business, so she kept herself in check, prioritizing professionalism.

"Sorry folks, the rules are the rules. There may be loopholes but we can't disregard it."

"… but it seems that Kurokami was successful with her brai—uh—reformation from what I could see."

Like what her red-haired companion said, the two remaining members of the Swimming Club Team gathered around their now awake captain beside the pool, uncharacteristically not celebrating their win. Medaka and her team then neared their group, the purple-haired girl lecturing them, preaching to them... the money greedy team now all goody-goody after.

Bah, how nauseating.

Momo decided to continue with the prize giving just to stop the sports manga-like display.

"Again, the winner of Happy Cthully Water Park Grand Opening Event is the Swimming Club team. Congratulations!"

"… Pachi, pachi, pachi…. How fun."

At last, her job for the day was finished.

Momo then grinned, while Namanie's lips twitched.

Now for the surprise.


End file.
